


We're Here Together

by pingo1387



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fusion, Gen, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 08:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13050090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pingo1387/pseuds/pingo1387
Summary: A collection of chronological short stories/drabbles in an AU where the Strawhats can fuse, based on DBZ/Steven U.





	1. Getting to Know You

**Author's Note:**

> Despite the names of the fusions, I don't intend any romantic or sexual implications except as jokes, but take those as you want.

“That’s weird, the knots got tighter,” Luffy remarked, studying the ropes holding Zoro in place on the wooden cross. Zoro and Coby shot panicked looks at the firing squad as Luffy fiddled with the knots.

“Just gimme a sword!” Zoro snapped. “Moron!”

A moment later, Zoro was holding back the Marines with all three of his swords while Luffy and Coby watched in awe.

“I’ll join your crew,” he said. “But should you get in the way of my ambition . . . I won’t hesitate to strike you down.”

“Fine by me . . . Zoro!” Luffy exclaimed with a big grin.

The Marines were cut down in a flash, and Luffy looked around at a shriek to see Coby being held at gunpoint.

“Don’t—Don’t move!” Helmeppo screamed. “Or I’ll blow this guy away! I swear!”

Luffy grinned and glanced to Zoro, noticing Morgan creeping up behind him. As Coby assured Luffy it was okay, Luffy and Zoro locked eyes, and Luffy stretched his arm out, grabbing Zoro’s arm and pulling himself closer.

“Shall we?” he said. Zoro’s eyes narrowed, but with blind trust, he allowed Luffy to lift one arm, grab him around the waist, and spin them in place, pressing their foreheads together.

A strange light emanated from the pair, making Morgan, Helmeppo, and Coby squint, and the pair’s forms shifted within the light—

The light faded, and the other three stared, stunned.

A man tall as Morgan stood before them, wearing a white shirt ripped down the middle and holding three swords: One with the left arm, one with the right, and one held with two new arms sprouting from his sides. His eyes (the left one above a small scar) were full of spirit, and his green hair almost reached his shoulders, looking as if it had never seen a comb. A straw hat— _Luffy’s_ hat—hung around his neck.

“Swords, okay,” he said to himself. “What is this? I’m stronger . . . do you know how to use these? Of course I do. You’d better explain everything later. Right. In the meantime . . .”

He looked between Morgan and Helmeppo, nodded, and turned to Morgan with an unknown swiftness, striking him down with two swords and leaping upon him, knocking him to the ground as he used Morgan as a springboard with rubber legs, flying to Helmeppo. The man, the strange amalgam of Zoro and Luffy, used the third sword to strike Helmeppo as he spun in a somersault.

The man landed neatly, and Helmeppo collapsed.

“Don’t worry,” the man said, sheathing his swords and looking at Coby. “I hit that one with the dull side.”

Coby could only stare in shock. The man grinned and seemed about to speak when he wobbled in place. The light emanated from him briefly as his shape shrunk and shifted and Zoro and Luffy fell to the ground, back to normal.

“Hungry,” Zoro said hoarsely from where he lay.

Luffy grinned and picked himself up. “Coby, c’mon, let’s get him some food.”

“I—Luffy- _san_ , what _was_ that?!” Coby shrieked.

“I’ll explain another time,” Luffy said, going to grab Zoro and holding him over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “Come on!”

* * *

“What a beautiful day,” Luffy said happily, staring up at the clear sky.

“Yeah,” Zoro murmured. He shook his head and looked back at Luffy. “Hey, don’t forget, you have some explaining to do. What was that technique we used? Who was . . . ?”

“That was—” Luffy cocked his head. “Zoro, Luffy . . . Zolu. That was Zolu.”

“But who—?”

“You and me,” Luffy said, clapping his hands. “Mashed together!”

Zoro narrowed his eyes. “And how does that work?”

“It’s a mystery,” Luffy said with a shrug. “I’ve done it with only two other people before . . . and one of them called it fusion.”

“Fusion,” Zoro repeated.

“He said something about it not being . . . very well-known,” Luffy continued, scrunching up his face in thought. “And if _he_ didn’t know a bunch about it, heck if _I_ know, right?”

Zoro leaned back, staring at the horizon.

“It made us stronger,” he said.

“Sure,” Luffy said. “Zolu’s you and me, and we’re both really strong, aren’t we? Add that strength together, and . . .”

“You get super-strength,” Zoro finished. “I see.”

“We don’t have to do it again if you don’t want,” Luffy added, now taking off his sandal and chewing on it. “’Cause it’s kinda personal, plus you seem pretty independent with your ambition.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Zoro said. “Doing it again, that is. Of course, if I face the man I’m looking for . . . I’ll do it alone. But . . .” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “In a bad situation, or if one of us needs help . . . that would be fine, since . . . especially when we have more crewmembers . . . we’ll more than likely be helping each other out anyway.”

Luffy grinned. “Well, we can also do it for fun.”

Zoro frowned. “Right. Well . . . we—er, Zolu—he uses different techniques, your rubber body and my swords. But he instinctively knew . . .”

“Sure,” Luffy said matter-of-factly, putting his sandal (now covered in teeth marks) on his foot again. “My instincts and your instincts combined, right?”

“Right.” Zoro sighed. “You sure are an interesting guy.”

Luffy grinned. “You think so?!”

“By the way, do you know where we’re headed?”

* * *

“You and Shanks were on the same ship?!” Luffy exclaimed in excitement.

“Yeah, not that that bastard did me any favors!” Buggy screamed. He scowled, staring into space. “Oh, he was a confident guy for sure, I felt it in him whenever we fought together— _why am I reminiscing about this?!_ He ruined my _life!”_

“You . . . felt it in him?” Luffy repeated, tilting his head. Something about that phrasing was odd.

“Never mind!” Buggy screeched. “As I was _saying_ —!”

* * *

“—And we hardly have enough _food_ —”

Zoro rubbed his chin and glanced at Luffy. “Do you think Zolu would eat less than us overall, or the same amount? He’s one body, but he’s pretty big.”

Luffy hummed in thought. His humming turned into a song, and then he cut himself off to answer. “About the same? That’s how it’s been in the past.”

“What are you talking about?” Nami asked, looking over her map.

“Zolu,” Luffy said, grinning.

Nami glanced at Zoro. “Do you mean him?”

“You’ll find out later, probably,” Zoro said, putting his hands behind his head and relaxing. “Now, what was that about food?”

* * *

“Usopp, calm down,” Zoro hissed. “I have an idea . . . but you’ll have to trust me.”

Usopp nodded, eyes filled with tears. He looked in the direction where Jango and Kaya were.

“I’m going to try a technique with you,” Zoro explained, “and if it works, just go with the flow. I think I can take over, but the most important thing will be to stay together.”

“Are you going to tell me what it _is?”_ Usopp cried.

“No, because you’ll freak out even more and we don’t need that right now. Just be glad I’m explaining more than Luffy did beforehand. Are you in?”

“Fine. Will it hurt?”

“It shouldn’t.”

Zoro sheathed his swords, yanked Usopp to his feet, and grabbed his arms. Suddenly realizing he knew nothing about dancing, he led them in awkward, unpracticed steps across the grass. Usopp was silent but his brow furrowed in confusion, wondering how this could possibly help them.

Their steps became smoother and their feet moved together in a foxtrot (though neither knew the name for it). Finally, Zoro picked Usopp up, and they locked eyes.

The strange light, so similar to the one which had created Zolu, surrounded them as Zoro brought Usopp to him.

When the light faded, a man as tall as Zolu stood among the trees. His nose was long and pointy as a tack, and a third eye rested on his forehead, above which curly green hair grew. His torso displayed overalls, the straps falling off of a white T-shirt underneath. Two arms held a slingshot in front of him while the other (new) two wielded a circular weapon made up of three fine blades—Zoro’s swords.

“Time to save the damsel in distress,” the man said aloud, and charged.

Jango never knew what hit him. One moment he had been ready to kill the girl, and the next his mouth was filled with a horrible spicy taste—a Tabasco pellet, expertly fired. In just another moment, he fell, for the circular weapon had spun between him and Kaya like a wheel or hula hoop, angled just so he was struck across the chest.

“Excellent,” the man said, reaching the clearing and picking up his weapon. His face suddenly morphed, and he yelled out loud.

By the time Kaya sat up, Zoro and Usopp had defused.

“ _What was that?!”_ Usopp screeched.

“You saved me,” Kaya whispered, and Usopp decided to table the discussion for later.

* * *

“That looks really good!” Luffy exclaimed, jumping up and down at the sight of their new flag. “You’re amazing!”

Usopp nodded proudly, setting aside the giant paintbrush. “I know, I know!”

“Now we can call ourselves pirates,” Zoro said, clapping him on the back.

Usopp glanced at him and his eyes widened. “Wait, Zoro, you jerk! You still have to explain that thing to me!”

“What?” Luffy said.

“We fused,” Zoro explained. “In the forest.”

Luffy’s grin outshone the sun. “ _Really?!_ You did it?! How?! Who was he?!”

“What’s going on?” Nami asked.

“I want to know, too!” Usopp said indignantly, poking Zoro’s shoulder. “One minute we were dancing, the next we were—we were—”

“Fused!” Luffy exclaimed, waving his arms about in excitement. “You fused, didn’t you?!”

“Fused?” Nami repeated.

“It was pretty amazing,” Zoro admitted. “Usopp was about to have a panic attack, and I thought if we got ourselves together, I could . . .”

“Help me be less scared,” Usopp said in wonder. “I mean . . . when we were—fused, or whatever—I _did_ feel less scared. Do you feel that kind of confidence all the time?”

“But what’s his name?!” Luffy exclaimed.

“Probably . . . Zosopp,” Zoro said. “Right?”

“But . . . just what are you talking about?” Nami said, looking completely lost.

“Usopp and Zoro squished together and made a new person,” Luffy explained.

“Want to show them?” Zoro asked, turning to Usopp.

“I—no,” Usopp said quickly. He crossed his arms. “Sorry, I’m just—um, the stars aren’t right for it.”

“That’s fine,” Zoro said, ignoring the disappointment radiating from Luffy.

“Wanna show them Zolu?” Luffy asked, perking up quickly.

Zoro shrugged and nodded. Despite his earlier hesitance, it seemed he had accepted fusion as quickly as he had Luffy.

Luffy grinned and led the dance once more as Nami and Usopp backed away, watching curiously. The light shone, and then faded, and Zolu was left standing on the deck.

“What do you think?” he asked, looking down at Nami and Usopp.

Nami covered her mouth, staring in shock, and Usopp’s jaw dropped to the deck.

“Were—were _we_ that awesome?” he squeaked.

“You and Zoro? I bet you were,” Zolu said with a grin.

Nami frowned at this phrasing, lowering her hand. “Are Zoro and Luffy . . . still in there?” she said tentatively. “Who are we talking to right now?”

“It’s me, Zolu,” Zolu replied, squatting so he didn’t have to look down the whole time.

“But are you _Zoro_ or _Luffy?”_

“Um . . .” He frowned. “Both, and neither. I’m me.”

He crossed his legs and sat as Luffy might, resting his two upper arms on the deck and crossing the lower set.

“Pirates are way weirder than I thought,” Nami said at last, shaking her head.

“Weird? This is incredible!” Usopp exclaimed. “Unprecedented! Astounding! And other words for such a phenomenon!”

Zolu yawned. “I’m gonna unfuse so Zoro can nap,” he announced, and before their eyes, he shone and split into Luffy and Zoro.

“See you,” Zoro said, standing and going to the railing to nap as promised.

Luffy bounced to his feet, grinning. “Say, Nami, do you wanna try it?” he asked, holding out a hand. “You looked really fascinated!”

She stepped back, shaking her head. “Oh, no, you stay out of me,” she said quickly. “I’d like to stay myself, if you don’t mind.”

“Aw, alright,” Luffy said. He grinned and turned to Usopp instead. “Usopp, let’s go try target practice,” he exclaimed, grabbing Usopp and leading him to the cannon.

* * *

“Shouldn’t he have fused first?” Usopp said tentatively as Zoro approached Mihawk, swords at the ready. “I mean, Zolu must be stronger than both of you—”

“No,” Luffy said sternly. “This is _Zoro’s_ ambition. He needs to do it on his own.”

Sanji glanced to them, vaguely wondering what they were talking about before his attention was drawn away again by the upcoming battle.

* * *

“Okay,” Luffy said, staring down Krieg. “I have an idea.”

He turned to Sanji. “Sanji! Become one with me!”

Sanji’s eyes widened and his ears burned red. “What?!” he sputtered, clutching his cracked ribs and coughing. “ _Here?_ Now?” He looked around at the cooks, spying on the battle from inside. “But there are people around—”

“Oh, you already know about it?” Luffy said in delight. “Sorry if you’d rather do it in private, but this is kind of an emergency, wouldn’t you say?”

“I don’t damn well see how doing _that_ will help anything!” Sanji roared, his ears and neck cherry-red.

“What?” Luffy said. “Are you dumb? It makes sense. We both wanna protect the restaurant, even if it’s for different reasons, and if we do this I bet we’ll be unstoppable, right? Even if it is our first time together.”

“Have you . . . done it before?” Sanji said hesitantly.

“Well, yeah.”

“In situations like this?”

“In fights, yeah.”

“And it worked?”

“Yep!”

Sanji sighed, taking a deep breath and wincing. “Okay,” he said at last. “I still don’t see how the fuck this is going to help, but if you’re so sure . . .”

He began loosening his tie as the cooks and Krieg stared at him and Luffy in utter confusion. “Do we even have time for buildup?”

“Sure,” Luffy said. “Like I said, it’s our first time. Don’t you know anything? I thought you said you knew about this!”

He folded his arms, staring as Sanji approached him and grabbed his shoulder, staring him in the eyes.

“So what’re you waiting for?” Sanji said, a bit awkwardly. He leaned in, ears burning red in embarrassment. “Let’s do it and get it over with.”

“Yeah,” Luffy said, grinning, and to Sanji’s shock he seized his hands, never mind the cracked ribs, and brought them in and out, in and out, releasing one side and then bringing it back in.

As they danced the jitterbug, Sanji’s mouth caught up with his mind at last and he exclaimed, “What the _hell_ kind of foreplay is this?!”

“Is that what you call it?” Luffy said, concentrating on getting them in a rhythm. “I call it dancing.”

“Yeah, but what in the world does _this_ have to do with—?”

Luffy brought them in one last time and the light surrounded them as their forms melded together.

The light faded. A man about the same height as the previous two fusions stood on the deck. A tie and collar hung around his neck, while the red vest was neatly buttoned closed. Blonde hair hung in his three eyes, barely covering asymmetrical swirled eyebrows, and the cigarette Sanji had once held, oddly enough, had become a lollipop. The old straw hat rested around his neck.

“Oh,” the man said, feeling his healthy ribs. “You meant . . . _oh_. But what the hell is this . . . ? I see . . . yeah!”

“And who are you?!” Krieg yelled across the way, voicing what the other chefs were too shocked to say.  

The man smirked and turned to him. “I’m Sanlu, and don’t you forget it, shithead,” he said, the two voices he had spoken with becoming one cocky tone. “If you think you’re going to take this restaurant, you’ve got another thing coming.”

He ran across the planks of wood, going straight for Krieg. Despite that Krieg was quick to fire sharp spikes, Sanlu hid his arms behind his back and took the hits to his chest and legs.

“No damaging the arms?” he said to himself as he reached Krieg. “Got it. No problem.”

He landed kick after kick to the wootz steel shield and even headbutted it, leaving him reeling for a moment. When Krieg had climbed to the mast, Sanlu close behind with a big grin and rubber arms, the shield shattered into pieces.

“That’ll teach you to mess with me and my friends,” he said, ever-smirking, and leapt backwards. “Good thing this won’t hurt my hands . . .”

He stretched his fingers out and dragged Krieg into the water with him like a slam dunk. But the second Sanlu hit the water, he glowed, shifted, and Sanji and Luffy popped out.

“What the fuck was that?” Sanji said in wonder. He climbed up onto the deck, coughing—his ribs weren’t quite healed yet. “We did it . . . !”

He looked around. “Chore boy? Where’d you go?”

“Dumbass, he’s drowning,” Zeff snapped, kicking him across the face with his pegleg. “Devil Fruit users can’t swim, didn’t you know? Go get him!”

“He can’t—? _Why didn’t anyone tell me?”_

* * *

“Oh, that?” Luffy said, twirling his hat. “That was fusion.”

Sanji narrowed his eyes as Yosaku listened in silent confusion. “Fusion?”

“Yeah,” Luffy said in delight. “I think we worked really well together, huh? It was the same with me and Zoro!”

“The swordsman,” Sanji said, staring out to sea. “You’ve . . . _fused_ before, then?”

“Yeah,” Luffy said. “Me n’ Zoro did it, and Zoro and Usopp too. And, hey—what’d you think?”

Sanji rubbed his chin, thinking.

“It was something else, that’s for sure,” he said at last. “Is fusing possible with others?”

“Sure, I think so. Zoro and Usopp did it, so . . .”

Sanji sighed. “I would _love_ to fuse with that beautiful lady Nami- _san_ , then! What a perfect combination we would be!”

“Ah, about her!” Yosaku interrupted. “The place we’re headed for is . . .”

* * *

“Everything went well?” Zoro said once he’d recovered from being smashed into by a runaway boat.

“It sure did!” Luffy exclaimed, eyes shining. “Me n’ Sanji fused!”

“Did you?” Zoro said, eyeing Sanji. “Then you must’ve worked well together.”

Sanji suddenly scowled and turned to Luffy. “Hey, I just remembered—you totally surprised me with the fusing thing!”

“How?” Luffy said blankly. “I said, ‘Let’s become one,’ and you agreed.”

“I didn’t know you were being _literal!”_

“Well, how else can that be taken?”

“I thought you meant—”

They were interrupted by Johnny, running to them and crying out.

* * *

“Usopp!” Luffy exclaimed after Nami had stormed away. “Me n’ Sanji fused!”

“You did?” Usopp exclaimed. He glanced at Sanji, considering. “How cool . . . then again, he did just kick me in the face . . .”

“Accident,” Sanji excused.

* * *

“Hey, Luffy,” Zoro said as the four met up in the park, ready to take down the fishmen. “Do you think we should fuse?”

“Ah, about that,” Luffy said, but then Hachi sprayed him with ink as the others dove for cover.

“Why didn’t you dodge?!” Usopp yelled.

“That’s the thing,” Luffy said, tugging on his legs. “My feet . . . are stuck.”

* * *

Usopp eyed Zoro and Sanji, trying to work up the courage to ask to fuse with one of them to ease his fear—but when he saw Chu going for them, he acted on instinct, firing a rubber band at him.

Chu slowly turned to him, and Usopp taunted him before running far away from the village, praying he would be able take him down by himself.

“Hey,” Zoro said, clutching his chest and staring into the water where Luffy had been thrown. “Should we . . . try fusing?”

“No way,” Sanji said. “Your damn injuries might ruin it. Just do the best you can up here . . .”

He kicked off his shoes.

“And I’ll take care of him!”

Before Zoro could protest, Sanji was underwater, Kuroobi not far behind.

* * *

“I did it,” Usopp whispered yet again.

“So I heard,” Zoro said, reclining against a wall. Usopp had tired himself out with shouting self-praise across the town, and now rested with him.

“I didn’t need to fuse with anyone or anything!”

“You sure didn’t. You’re a pretty brave guy.”

Usopp grinned.

* * *

“So!” Luffy exclaimed, folding his arms with a big grin. The sky was clear and the East Blue sea was beautiful as the Strawhats sailed.

“I think we should all practice fusion,” he said. “Only so it’s easier in bad situations, right?”

“Good point,” Sanji agreed. Zoro and Usopp nodded, but Nami was silent.

Luffy grinned and turned to Zoro. “Think we need practice?”

“Not you and me,” Zoro said, shaking his head. “It was pretty easy last time.”

“Oh, right. Okay.”

“But, on the other hand . . .” Zoro turned to Usopp. “What do you say? You and me?”

“Yeah,” Usopp exclaimed, far less nervous this time.

They stepped forward and took each other’s hands, stepping in the same manner as last time. It was much easier for them to fuse this time around as they pressed themselves together and grew before everyone’s eyes.

“Sup,” he said with an awkward grin. “Name’s Zosopp.”

Luffy held himself back from screaming in delight, instead crying, “So _cool!_ What weapon is that?!”

“Oh, this?” Zosopp said, holding the circular blades. “It’s only the best weapon you’ve ever seen. If I may . . .”

He threw it out to sea like a boomerang, and it came right back, expertly caught in the middle.

“And this is basically the most accurate slingshot in the world,” he added, holding the item up and setting the circular blade aside.

Luffy bounced in place, flapping his arms about in excitement while Sanji eyed Zosopp up and down.

“Still have a long nose, I see,” he said at last, grinning.

“You looking for a fight?” Zosopp asked before laughing.

“This is . . . something else,” Nami murmured.

“ _I'm_ something else,” Zosopp agreed.

“Well, go on and unfuse,” Sanji said.

Zosopp paused, staring into space.

“Not yet, please?” he said in a tone similar to Usopp’s. “Huh?” he said, now in Zoro’s tone. “Well, okay, if you want.”

He looked back to the others apologetically. “Sorry, Usopp doesn’t want to unfuse yet.”

“Oh, okay,” Sanji said, frowning. Zosopp sat against the railing, his upper two arms behind his head and his lower two resting on his legs.

“Sanji, you and me,” Luffy exclaimed, turning to him with eyes so bright he might have stored a star behind them.

“Yeah,” Sanji agreed, and they began dancing again. Their fusion was far quicker and less clumsy this time around, and soon Sanlu stood on the deck, lollipop in mouth and vest buttoned neatly.

“Hey,” he said, looking to Zosopp. “Stand up!”

Zosopp stood, and Sanlu got shoulder-to-shoulder with him, measuring their heights.

“Oh, we’re about the same,” he said in disappointment before standing on his tiptoes, trying to make himself taller. “Bet I can make myself hell of a lot taller!”

“Hey, you’re using Luffy’s power, that’s cheating,” Zosopp protested, smacking Sanlu on the side of the head.

“It’s a natural ability, mossy long-nose!” Sanlu protested, sticking out his tongue around his lollipop.

“Cool it,” Nami snapped, folding her arms. The two turned to her, and Sanlu grinned dopily before he unfused, leaving Sanji to smile and praise Nami and Luffy to laugh on the deck.

“Nami- _san_ ,” Sanji exclaimed as Zosopp sat back down with a shrug, “my dear, will you do me the honor of fusing with me?”

“Nope,” Nami said, smiling. She gently pushed him aside and turned to Luffy. “Luffy?”

“Ah, you want to?!” Luffy exclaimed while Sanji sulked.

“I—y-yeah,” Nami said, holding her arms and shifting her weight. “If you do.”

“Well, sure!” He held out his hand. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine! And we can always stop when you wanna!”

At this, Nami finally took his hand, and they began dancing while Sanji sat next to Zosopp, still pouting. They stepped back and forth, side-to-side, and fell into the rhythm of the cha-cha; once Luffy spun Nami around, and they caught each other again, and then she spun him and picked him up, twirling in place and pressing themselves together as a tangerine light enveloped them.

“Whoa . . .”

The person was almost as tall as Zosopp, wearing a red tank top and a denim blue skirt held up by blue suspenders. Their face was bright and curious and covered in freckles, a third eye resting in their forehead (Luffy’s scar of course in its usual place); the sides were framed by an untamed shock of red hair, and Nami’s tattoo had stayed on the left shoulder; Luffy’s straw hat hung around their neck.

“Awesome!” the person exclaimed. “Zosopp, stand up for a sec!”

Zosopp stood, and they measured themselves.

“The height really does depend on the partners, huh?” the person said to themselves, grinning. “Makes sense!”

“I guess you’re called Nalu?” Sanji said, standing from his place and looking up at them.

The person frowned. “That name really doesn’t sit right with me for some reason. I think Luna works better.”

Sanji ran a hand through his hair. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“What?” Zosopp and Luna said together.

“My lovely Nami- _san_ is part of you!” he exclaimed, pointing to Luna. “What do I do about this?!”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Luna suggested.

“What they said,” Zosopp agreed.

Sanji muttered something, looking away, and Luna grinned and patted his head.

“If you _really_ want something to do, I could use a snack,” they said.

“Me too,” Zosopp added, stretching.

Sanji went off to the kitchen, a cloud over his head and his hands in his pockets.

“He’s grumpy,” Luna remarked. They pulled their baton from their shirt and studied it. “Ah, so this didn’t change . . . I see! Weapons only change if each person has their own!”

“That makes sense,” Zosopp agreed. “Zolu had . . . er, Zoro’s swords. They weren’t changed. But obviously my weapon’s the best.”

“You have two,” Luna pointed out.

“They’re both the greatest.” Zosopp grinned. “I’m unstoppable.”

Luna grinned. “Well, that’s good! Ah—”

They glowed and morphed and Luffy and Nami popped out, sitting up on the deck.

“Sorry, I got impatient!” Luffy exclaimed, running to the kitchen.

“Warn me first!” Nami yelled after him, standing. “Jerk!”

“How was it?” Zosopp asked, sitting down again.

“Fusing?” Nami said. “Weird. But not in a bad way.” She touched her forehead. “We had three eyes . . . oh, we should try stretching next time . . .”

She cracked her back and started for the kitchen, but then paused and turned back to Zosopp. “You coming?”

“I’ll come when I feel like it,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay . . . whatever.”

* * *

Sanji was very glad to have Nami back, and though Zosopp’s continued existence brought raised eyebrows when he entered for snacks, no one commented.

“Look, I’m not complaining,” Sanji said at dinner when Zosopp arrived, “but how long are you going to stay fused?”

“I don’t know,” Zosopp said, scowling. “Why do you care?”

“For one thing, you’re taking up a lot of space.” Sanji gestured to the area.

Zosopp sat at the table and Luffy and Nami scooted away to make room. “And who do you think you are to tell me what to do?”

“What?” Sanji said. “Well, don’t get your damn panties in a twist, I wasn’t ordering anything.”

“That’s _right_ you weren’t.” Zosopp glanced at Luffy, who was staring at him with a little frown. “What?”

Luffy shrugged and looked away.

* * *

“Luffy . . .”

Zosopp had volunteered to take watch for the night, saying something about how he was the only one good enough to do it, and so Sanji and Luffy were the only ones in the men’s quarters that night.

“Yeah?” Luffy whispered.

“You said you’d fused before. How long . . . what was the longest time you ever _stayed_ fused?”

Luffy stared at the ceiling.

“Did you fall asleep?”

“I’m thinking!” Luffy huffed. He wriggled in his hammock, getting energy out. “Well, it’s hard to say, right? The first time he and I did it . . . we were really bad at staying together, and we had to practice. It took a long time, but we were able to stay together for years.”

“ _Years?”_

“But the thing is, we took breaks sometimes,” Luffy explained. “Like after a tough fight or a big meal, and during bathtime since I had my Devil Fruit.”

“You were fused all the time besides those times?” Sanji said.

Luffy nodded, not remembering that Sanji couldn’t see him in the dark. “And later, when we wanted to stay fused even longer . . . we learned how to talk to each other in our heads. Head. _His_ head.”

“How so?”

“Like . . .” Luffy paused, chewing on his shirt as he thought. “If something was bothering one of us . . . we couldn’t stay together as long. It was unbalanced. So we kinda . . . sometimes sat real quiet . . . and talked in our heads. Head.”

“Oh,” Sanji said in understanding. “You mean meditation.”

“Is that what that’s called? Yeah, that.” Luffy glanced at Sanji, blonde hair barely visible. “Why’d you ask?”

“ _Him_.” Sanji pointed upwards.

“Oh.”

“Are you worried?”

“A little,” Luffy admitted. “I guess we were lucky . . . that we fit together so well back then. Zoro and Usopp make a good team, but I wonder, staying together for this long seems to be . . .”

He shrugged and covered his face with his hat. “We’ll check on the situation in the morning.”

“Alright,” Sanji agreed, more out of sleepiness than anything, and soon both were snoring.

* * *

Sanji squinted at Zosopp as he crossed the deck, heading to the kitchen. Zosopp barely turned his head in acknowledgement as Sanji opened and shut the door.

Breakfast was almost ready when Sanji heard shouting outside. He turned off the burner and hurried out, meeting with Nami, and they went around to the stern, where Luffy and Zosopp were glaring at each other.

“ _Listen_ to me!” Luffy said, folding his arms. “You’ve been—”

“Why should I listen to you, rubber-brain?” Zosopp interrupted, towering over Luffy.

“Because I’m your captain!”

“I’d make a much better captain than you and you know it!”

“You’ve been fused for too long!” Luffy said firmly. “Unfuse right now, captain’s orders!”

“Like I _said_ , I’m not listening to someone who’s not as good as me,” Zosopp said, bringing out his slingshot. “Let’s duel, right here, right now!”

Luffy glowered and turned to Sanji and Nami. “Hey, can one of you help out?”

“Yeah,” Sanji said, stepping forward. “If we beat him up enough, he’ll unfuse, right?”

“Right,” Luffy said.

“I’ll be over here,” Nami called, backing away, and she turned and ran, hiding inside.

“Are we going to duel or not?” Zosopp sneered. “If you decline, I’ll take that as my win. A man shouldn’t back down from a fight!”

“I’m not,” Luffy said, holding out his hand. Sanji took it, and they fused within a minute.

Sanlu now faced Zosopp head-on, one hand on his hip and the other holding the lollipop stick.

“Bring it on, jerk,” he said around the candy.

Zosopp grinned and fired a pellet at Sanlu, who dodged and swung out a kick, knocking the slingshot from his hands. Zosopp’s smile vanished as he brought out his boomerang blade, which was flung at Sanlu; Sanlu ducked and straightened back up.

“That all you got?” he said indignantly.

Zosopp smirked again, but then so did Sanlu.

“Gotcha,” he said, ducking, and the weapon flew over his head and straight for Zosopp. Zosopp caught it just in time, spinning it like pizza dough before throwing it again; Sanlu ducked underneath it, ran forward, and kicked Zosopp, first in the shin and then behind the knees, forcing him to the ground. Sanlu dodged the blade coming back, knocked it out of the air with a foot, and delivered a hard axe kick to the top of Zosopp’s head.

Zosopp was knocked down, and before he could get up, Sanlu kicked him again and again until he was battered and bruised. With a sound and blast of light, Usopp and Zoro fell to the deck, unmoving.

“And that’s my win,” Sanlu said proudly before unfusing himself. Sanji and Luffy got their bearings while Usopp and Zoro twitched.

“Fuck’s sake, my head hurts,” Zoro hissed, bringing a hand up to rub his temple.

“Help,” Usopp whimpered. “I can’t move . . .”

Sanji helped Zoro stand and Luffy helped Usopp.

“Good to see you guys,” Luffy said happily, hugging Usopp, who groaned in pain as his joints cracked. “Go take a nap, you look terrible.”

Zoro stared at him, still using Sanji for support. “But . . .”

“Nap first, then food, then we talk.”

“Aye, captain,” they said together, and shuffled in shame to the men’s quarters.

“Food’s getting cold,” Sanji said at last. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

* * *

Zoro and Usopp showed up for lunch, bruised but refreshed, and were quiet for some time.

Finally, Nami broke the silence with, “Do you guys need treatment?”

“They’re just bruises,” Zoro said, grateful for the conversation.

“Time heals all wounds,” Sanji added, dishing out the chowder. “Time and good food. Eat up.”

“How do you feel?” Nami asked, oddly gentle.

“Sore?” Usopp offered.

“I meant mentally.”

“Better than before,” Zoro said through his chowder.

Luffy set down his bowl, the chowder halfway gone already, and looked between Zoro and Usopp. “So, you guys know better for next time, right?”

“Right,” they said together.

“Sorry for the trouble, captain,” Zoro added, bowing his head.

“Uh—sorry, Luffy,” Usopp said sheepishly, ducking as if expecting to be hit. And hit he was, he and Zoro both by Luffy’s gentle fists.

“I mean, I get it and all,” Luffy added. “Fusion can make you lose yourself if you do it for a long time. You just gotta know your limit.”

“It was _weird_ ,” Usopp burst out. “It was nice at first, but—”

“Calm down and watch your chowder,” Sanji said, tapping Usopp’s shoulder, and Usopp frantically grabbed his bowl back from Luffy’s hands. As Luffy frowned and brought his hands back, now going for Zoro’s bowl, Sanji continued, “It’s all over and done with, and like Luffy said, you guys know better for next time.”

Usopp nodded and returned to his chowder, holding it out of Luffy’s reach.

* * *

“Hey.”

Usopp jumped and turned to see Zoro. He had crept out of the men’s room to take a leak and was just heading back.

“Hi,” he whispered. He glanced up; Nami was on watch in the crow’s nest, and she glanced down to check the noise before returning to her post.

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I . . . sorry about what happened.”

“What?” Usopp exclaimed. “But—wasn’t it my fault?”

“Hm?”

“I—well, y’know, I really wanna be the captain,” Usopp explained. “That was _me_ coming out of Zosopp, right? I just—I’ll only be captain if Luffy quits, but he’s not doing that anytime soon, is he, and he really acted captain-ly when we, when Zosopp, was talking like that—”

He stopped, rubbing his arms to calm himself down, and Zoro waited until he knew he was done talking to speak up.

“I get where you’re coming from,” he said. “But part of it was me, too. I think . . .” Here he stretched, gathering his thoughts. “Sometimes . . . I can be _too_ confident. Like at the Baratie . . .”

“But wasn’t it _mostly_ —”

“I dunno why you’re trying to take all the blame,” Zoro interrupted, rubbing his eyes. “Let’s pretend the whole reason Zosopp acted the way he did was because of your personality. If that was the case, I still should’ve been able to stop you, being part of the fusion and all. I won’t let you shoulder all the guilt, Usopp.”

Usopp was quiet now, playing with an overall strap and running a thumb over the cloth.

“Okay,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, too.”

“Right.”

There was a noise behind them and they whipped around to see Luffy sneaking out to the deck. He glanced around and froze when he spotted Usopp and Zoro, and then pressed a finger to his lips and tiptoed to the kitchen.

“If he’s getting a midnight snack, I want midnight booze,” Zoro said abruptly, going after him.

“Wait for me!” Usopp exclaimed, hurrying after him.

The three were able to enjoy only minutes of a small feast when Nami came in and threatened a beating or a tattling to Sanji if they didn’t get back to bed.

* * *

“Say goodbye, Strawhat!” Buggy screamed, dramatically raising the axe on the execution platform.

“Zoro!” Sanji yelled, making his way to him. “Let’s fuse!”

“What?!” Zoro yelled, tearing his eyes from Luffy for a moment.

“We’ll be faster—we can reach him! Come on!”

Sanji reached out his hand as he ran forward, and Zoro did the same, but before their fingers could even brush, Buggy brought the axe swinging down.

Minutes later, Luffy stood in front of them, laughing and dusting off his hat.

“Man, that was close,” he exclaimed, placing his hat back on. He glanced up at Zoro and Sanji and saw their hands still outstretched, about to clasp. “Ah! You guys were gonna fuse, weren’t you?! Can you do it now?!”

“No,” they said together, yanking their hands back.

Luffy pouted. “Boo. Come on, then, let’s go!”


	2. Dunes Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On to Alabasta!

“You were a ship’s doctor, old man?” Luffy exclaimed as the Strawhats and Crocus walked along the metal hallway of Laboon’s insides.

“Aye, for a few years,” Crocus said without turning around. They reached the hatch and he fiddled with it as he continued, “They were good-natured, much like yourselves . . . I remember two youngsters who always fought together, in more ways than one.”

“More ways than one?” Nami said. “You mean they argued, but had each other’s backs in a battle?”

“Oh, that too,” Crocus agreed absentmindedly. He finally got the hatch open. “Here we go . . .”

* * *

“Luffy, there you are,” Zoro said, spotting him at the end of the street. He shouldered a sword and grinned. “Let’s fuse. We can take these guys out faster that way.”

“ _ZORO!”_

“You don’t have to shout.” Zoro paused, noticing Luffy’s face twisted in anger.

“These nice people . . . gave us food . . .” Luffy growled, striding forward with hands balled into fists, “and you’re _attacking them?!”_

“For the love of—Luffy, they’re all bou—”

“I won’t forgive you!” Luffy yelled, raising his fists. “I’ll—I’ll _never_ fuse with you again! Zoro, I challenge you!”

* * *

“What a funny mix-up,” Luffy laughed while Nami and Vivi sat tensely and Zoro scowled. “You should’ve told me, Zoro!”

“I was _trying!”_

“Shut up, you two,” Nami hissed.

“Ah, by the way,” Luffy continued, lowering his hat, “I, um, didn’t really mean what I said about fusing.”

“I know.”

Luffy grinned. “Great! So, can we fuse now?”

“I said _shut up!”_ Nami snapped, and they went quiet, fearing her wrath.

* * *

On their way to Little Garden, Vivi had heard snippets of conversation about fusion, but it wasn’t until they reached the island itself that she finally learned what it was before her eyes.

As she was dragged away by Baroque Works, Luffy pounded the ground in frustration while Usopp lay on the ground, shivering in fear.

“Karoo,” Luffy said, struggling to pull himself out from under the rock, “can you stand?”

Karoo squawked softly and struggled to his feet, flapping his wings until he got his balance.

“Usopp?”

“I’m good,” Usopp whispered, getting to his feet.

Luffy finally popped out from the rock and went flying across the clearing smack into a tree. He got up and went back to Usopp and Karoo, dusting himself off.

“Usopp,” he said. “We gotta get those Baroque bastards.”

“Right.”

“They interfered with the fight, and they have Zoro and Vivi.”

“Right.”

“So, let’s fuse.”

“Right.”

A pause, and Usopp’s eyes widened as he stumbled a step back. “What?!”

“If you want to,” Luffy added, holding out a hand with a grin.

“But—” Usopp looked away, crossing his arms. “Last time, I—”

“Last time was a mistake,” Luffy agreed. “But we won’t be fused for long. And now that we know something like that can happen, we’ll both be fine. Right?”

Usopp eyed his outstretched hand and expectant grin.

“Right,” he said at last, and took Luffy’s hand.

As they started dancing the Hokey Pokey, Luffy remarked, “This sure would be easier with music, huh?”

“Yeah,” Usopp agreed.

“Which is why we need a musician immediately.”

“I can sing!”

“I said a musician!”

“I’m hurt!”

Luffy laughed and spun around in sync with Usopp; they took each other’s hands, and Usopp dipped Luffy to the ground, perhaps a bit awkwardly; as their bodies glowed and melded together, Karoo waddled backwards, squawking in shock.

* * *

Zoro had just began hacking into his legs when a battle cry reached their ears and the three stared as someone burst from the trees with Karoo, yelling and running across the clearing.

“There you are!” he yelled, spotting Zoro, Nami, and Vivi, just before he ran into the trees on the other side, momentum carrying him.

“What the hell was that?!” Mr. 3 shrieked. “ _Who_ the hell was that?!”

The man came back sheepishly from the other side of the clearing with Karoo, brushing off dirt.

“Got carried away running,” he admitted. He was tall, not quite as tall as Zolu or Zosopp but tall nonetheless, and he was thin and gangling, his hair an absolute mess of thick uncombed curls, his nose long, and his overalls half-off, revealing a red shirt underneath. Luffy’s scar was under the left eye while a smaller third one blinked on the forehead, and Luffy’s hat hung from the man’s neck.

“Who is that?” Vivi exclaimed. “That couldn’t be Baroque—why does he have Luffy- _san_ ’s hat?”

“There was yet another in this place?!” Ms. Valentine cried. “Who are you, stranger?!”

“Geez, you guys had me worried,” the man said to the ones trapped in the cake, “but never fear! I’ll save you!”

“Don’t ignore me!” Ms. Valentine yelled indignantly.

Nami squinted at the man, studying his appearance.

“By any chance,” she called, “are you . . . Lusopp?”

Lusopp grinned. “Yeah, that sounds right! You guys, are you stuck?”

“Obviously!” Nami yelled. “It’s a good thing you got here when you did!”

“I could’ve sewed them back on later,” Zoro pointed out as blood pooled around his feet.

“That’s not how it _works_ ,” Vivi said despairingly. “And . . . Lusopp- _san?_ Who are you?”

“The amazing Captain Lusopp,” he said promptly.

“Oi, here we go,” Zoro muttered.

“Technically he is the captain,” Nami said.

“I thought that was Luffy- _san_ ,” Vivi said. “But, never mind that! Lusopp- _san_ , can you help us? That pumpkin needs to be broken!”

“Got it,” Lusopp said.

“Now _listen here!”_ Mr. 5 yelled, throwing a booger bomb at Lusopp, but it was dodged and Lusopp spun around, firing his own bomb right into his mouth with a slingshot.

Mr. 5 gulped it down, and it exploded inside him.

“You need better gunpowder,” he said, wiping his lips.

“ _He swallowed it!”_ Lusopp yelled, and promptly unfused in comic shock.

“What, what, what is this now?!” Mr. 3 cried as Luffy and Usopp sat up frantically. “Two dastardly pirates, becoming one dastardly pirate?!”

“We’d do best to split up and go after them,” Ms. Valentine said with an evil look, approaching Usopp. “Keep them _apart_ . . . so they can’t be _a part_ of each other!”

“Usopp,” Luffy exclaimed. “We’ll get back together later! Run!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Usopp yelled. “Do your best here! Come on, Karoo!”

He and Karoo made a mad dash for the trees, Ms. Valentine and Mr. 5 in hot pursuit.

“ _What_ just _happened?”_ Vivi exclaimed.

“I’ll explain later!” Luffy said, winding up his fists.

* * *

“Usopp, can you move?” Luffy said. The paint had been burned away, and Mr. 3 was putting the finishing touches on his strange armor.

“No,” Usopp gasped. Karoo was running around the tree, dragging the oil-soaked rope as far as he could manage.

Luffy glanced at the three stuck in the cake, now completely solidified into statues. He grit his teeth, turned to Ms. Valentine, and yelled with a scary face, “MOVE IT!”

She jumped, her concentration broken and weight returning to normal in shock, and Usopp rolled out from under her, coughing.

“Are you up for it?” Luffy said, holding out his hands. Usopp nodded.

This time, Lusopp’s chest was bare, since Luffy’s shirt had been burnt off earlier.

“That tactic again!” Mr. 3 cried. “A fantastic display of art, it is, but it’s _not_ good for me, now is it?!”

“Not at all, you wax jerk!” Lusopp said, cracking his knuckles. “Ah, wait, I need a flame for the rope, don’t I?”

He spotted the candle on top of Mr. 3’s head and grinned.

* * *

“ _Wait,_ you stupid wax!”

Lusopp charged after Mr. 3, leaving the others in the clearing.

“Who _is_ that?” Vivi said in utter confusion. “He’s one person, but Luffy- _san_ and Usopp- _san_ —?”

“That’s Lusopp, I s’pose,” Zoro said, sitting heavily and checking his legs. “Looks like those two work well together. That’s good.”

“It’s fusion,” Nami explained.

“ _That’s_ fusion?”

“Yeah. Two people, in perfect sync, combining to form an amalgam of their strength, intelligence, and form.”

“Two people smooshed together,” Zoro said from the ground.

“That’s incredible,” Vivi murmured.

“I’m back!” Lusopp announced, bouncing from the trees with a proud grin.

“You took care of that wax guy?” Zoro said, looking up at him.

“Well, let’s just say he won’t be bothering us anytime soon,” Lusopp said proudly. “Unless he comes back. Ah, Zoro, your legs are . . . ?”

“They’ll be fine,” Zoro said nonchalantly.

Lusopp turned his attention to Broggy and Dorry, and his face shifted. “Master Broggy,” he said, and his body glowed and morphed, Luffy and Usopp falling out.

* * *

“I missed your fusion?” Sanji exclaimed, shoulders slouching.

“We’ll fuse later!” Luffy offered, shoving another rice cracker in his mouth.

“Oh, okay,” Sanji said with a nod. He glanced at Usopp. “How’d it go?”

“It was great!” Usopp exclaimed. “It felt different—fusion is so interesting!”

“Yeah, it’s always different,” Luffy said matter-of-factly while Nami complained of a bug bite and Sanji gave her his jacket. “I mean, no one’s the same as anyone else, right?”

“R—Right,” Usopp said. He glanced at the others, wondering how it would feel to be fused with them.

* * *

“Then . . . you’ve done it, too, Nami- _san?”_ Vivi said.

Nami nodded. “With Luffy,” she said. She frowned and brushed some hair from her face, feeling her forehead. “Luffy’s fused with Zoro and Sanji- _kun_ , too, and Usopp’s been with Zoro before.”

“How interesting,” Vivi murmured. “What is it like?”

Nami blinked, licking her lips. “Well . . . it’s like you . . .” She rubbed the back of her neck, making a face. “You’re not totally yourself anymore. You can feel the other person—their strength, feelings, personality—everything.”

“That’s so fascinating!” Vivi stared out to sea. “I never knew such a thing existed . . .”

Nami shrugged, forcing a smile. “None of us did, either, until Luffy . . . showed us.”

“How is it done?”

“We . . .” Nami pressed a hand to her forehead, squinting. “Start . . . dancing in . . . sync, and . . .”

She sank to the deck, face burning with fever.

* * *

“Wait,” Sanji said as Luffy started hoisting Nami up on his back. “Let’s fuse first.”

“Ah, good idea,” Luffy agreed, handing Nami to Vivi for the time being. He frowned. “Hey, last time we fused around Nami, you got weird feelings and we separated. Are you sure that’s not gonna happen this time?”

“I’ll be careful,” Sanji promised. “I will channel my love into protecting her!”

Luffy grinned. “Okay, then, if you’re sure!”

The others watched while he and Sanji began dancing. Soon enough, Sanlu stood before them, checking himself over.

“Good thing the clothes change with the fusion,” he remarked, rubbing his arms. “Otherwise they’d be way too short! Here—”

He knelt and took Nami gently from Vivi, tying her onto his back.

“Excuse me,” Dalton said. “Just who are you? What happened to the other two?”

“Sanlu,” Sanlu said shortly. “I—well, Sanji and Luffy are part of me. Don’t worry about it, it’s complicated.”

“Be careful!” Usopp burst out. “It looks like a hard climb!”

“Yeah!” Sanlu exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. “Don’t worry! I’ll protect her with everything I’ve got! We’ll see you later!”

He turned and hurried away, and was soon out of sight.

“That was . . . Sanlu,” Vivi said. “Fusion is so interesting . . .”

“You’re telling me,” Usopp said.

Dalton shook his head. “Would you two like to come back inside? Your friends won’t be down for some time.”

* * *

Sanlu hurried up the mountain as fast as possible without hurting Nami, and absentmindedly kicked away a rabbit chasing him on his way.

“Women in snowy countries always have smooth, snow-white skin,” he said, talking to himself. “Because the snow dyes their skin white, and it becomes smooth from them rubbing it to keep warm. And people in snowy countries never sleep.” He frowned. “Huh? No, that’s not right, is it? If that’s true, why would that guy Dalton have a bed in his house . . . ? Whatever, I need to focus on Nami!” He glanced behind him. “Hang in there!”

When he turned around again, he found himself facing a herd of Lapins.

“Oh, great, polar bears?” he said. “Wait, they’re rabbits.”

He leapt out of the way as one attacked.

“How can a rabbit move like a gorilla?!” he yelled. “Damn it!”

He started to kick out at the Lapin, but stopped himself, face scrunching in an internal struggle.

“Luffy, stop it,” he said. “We can’t fight them! But then how’re we supposed to get around them? We have to avoid them, but don’t retreat and don’t fight!” His face scrunched again. “That’s really difficult!” He looked back at Nami. “Nami’s our first, second, and third priority. Stay on task! Fighting might hurt her!”

He shook his head, blinked, and dodged the Lapins again.

“Okay,” he said to himself. “Hang in there.”

* * *

“Do you . . . I mean, do you want to try it?” Usopp said tentatively. His time together with Luffy had gone well, but . . .

“What?” Vivi said as they walked.

“Fusion.”

. . . He would need practice controlling himself with others, too.

“With you?”

“I don’t see anyone else around.” Usopp shifted awkwardly.

Vivi hesitated, looking him up and down.

“Okay,” she said at last.

* * *

“Higher ground, higher ground,” Sanlu muttered as the avalanche roared and he rode a log like a surfboard towards a rock.

He spotted a cliff jutting out above him. With a lightning-quick calculation, his eyes widened and he yelled, “ _Wait—!”_

He unfused, Sanji throwing Luffy and Nami up to the cliff and forcing himself away from them in the process.

“Treat her gently!” he called to Luffy with a grin before smacking against the rock with a sickening crunch, falling down with the snow and being buried alive.

“ _Sanji!”_ Luffy screamed when he got his bearings. He shielded Nami with his body from the chunks of snow breaking off from the downpour.

When the avalanche finally cleared, Luffy laid Nami gently on the cliff with his coat as a blanket, placing his hat on top of her. He turned and dove into the snow, determined to find Sanji.

* * *

Luffy, with Sanji clenched in his teeth and Nami tied on his back, stared up at the mountain before seizing the rock, jumping up and digging his feet in as he started to climb agonizingly upwards.

“Good thing . . .” he mumbled around the cloth, “Sanlu’s . . . not here . . . after all. Can’t . . . hurt . . . his hands.”

Already breathing harder, he stopped talking and focused on the climb.

* * *

Gasping for air, the person sat up from the snowdrift. Their nose, bridge strong and tip long, was the first thing out, followed by a face set with three long-lashed gentle eyes and a soft mouth. Wild long curly blue hair fell everywhere as they pushed themselves up, standing and stumbling.

“We . . . I did it?” they whispered, staring at their four hands, two forearms on each upper arm. “It worked! We’re—I’m okay! Usopp, Vivi . . . Usovi . . . _Visopp_. I’ll stay like this a little longer . . . that’s okay, right?”

They started walking, getting their balance in the thick snow with an entirely new body.

“Darn it, all the signs got buried,” they said, looking around in concern. “If I keep going in one direction, I’m bound to find someone, right? Right?”

Someone sat up from the snow and they shrieked in surprise, jumping back.

“That was close,” Zoro whispered, shivering, skin tinged by cold. “I saw a field of flowers . . .”

“Zoro- _san?!”_ Visopp said in shock. “What are you doing h—are you okay?!”

“I’m fine,” Zoro said, standing with crossed arms. He looked over at Visopp and squinted. “Uh . . .”

He studied their nose.

“Usopp?”

“Not quite.” Visopp frowned. “Where are your _clothes?”_

“Back at the ship,” Zoro said. “Usovi?”

“I went with Visopp.”

“Got it.” Zoro looked up at the mountain. “That avalanche . . . are you fine?”

“Thanks to this form, yes,” Visopp said with a smile. “We—I was looking for the village.”

“I’ll come with you. Where’re the others?”

“Well, uh . . .”

* * *

“Behold, you scoundrels! The ultimate fused form of Chess and Kuromarimo . . . !”

Luffy, Sanji, Chopper, and Kureha watched expectantly as a looming figure emerged from Wapol’s mouth.

“They can do it, too?” Sanji said in surprise.

“Who knew even jerks had that ability?” Luffy remarked.

“Behold!” the figure cried, coming into the light. “ _Chessmarimo!”_

Luffy leaned forward, grinning, but fell back in disappointment when he got a good look at the figure.

“Boo!” he yelled. “That’s not fusion!”

“One’s just standing on the other’s shoulders!” Sanji yelled, giving them a thumbs-down. “How dare you make a mockery of _real_ fusion!”

“Don’t taunt me!” Chess and Kuromarimo said together. “What’s _real_ fusion, if not this fine form?!”

Luffy and Sanji turned to each other, clasped hands, and spun around. With a flash of light, Sanlu stopped spinning and faced Chessmarimo with a hand on his hip and jaw jutted cockily.

“ _This_ is real fusion, you shitty fakers,” he said around his lollipop. “The name’s Sanlu, and I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“ _WHAT THE HELL?!”_ Chessmarimo and Wapol screamed together.

“What—what—?!” Chopper cried, staring in wonder. “Those other guys—where’d they go?!”

“They’re right here,” Sanlu said to him, glancing down. “Don’t worry, I’ll take down these jerks faster than you can say—”

He suddenly groaned in pain and unfused with a pop.

“Ow, Sanji, _geez!”_ Luffy yelled, clutching his backside. “Your _back!”_

“I’m _fine!”_ Sanji snapped, though he struggled to stand. “Let’s try again—”

“Oh _no_ you don’t,” Kureha hissed, slamming her foot down on Sanji’s lower back and holding him there. “You aren’t doing _anything_ with your back in this condition, much less any weird techniques!”

“Sanji, I hate to say it, but she’s right,” Luffy said solemnly. “We can fuse again when you’re all better!”

“I hate you,” Sanji snarled to him, trying to stand again only to yell in pain when Kureha ground her boot into his spine.

“What sort of technique was . . .” Chopper shook his head. “Doctorine! Can I fight?”

* * *

Visopp, Zoro, and Dalton sat in the car, Visopp and Dalton forced to hunch due to their heights. Zoro’s eyes were shut, waiting for their arrival, while Dalton was tense and Visopp shot nervous look after nervous look up at the mountain.

“Are they okay?” they blurted out. “Luffy, and Nami- _san_ and Sanji- _san_ —”

“They’re fine,” Zoro said without even opening his eyes.

“How do you know?” Visopp asked, voice controlled even as they dug their fingers into their jacket, squeezing their arms until it hurt.

“Luffy’s Luffy,” Zoro said, eyes still shut. “The cook’s the cook. And Nami’s sick, but those two will protect her.”

Visopp nodded, forcing themselves to take a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” Dalton asked, looking at them with concern. “I understand your worry, but . . .”

“I’ll be fine,” Visopp insisted. Nonetheless, they went to sit by Zoro, who subtly shifted to give them room.

* * *

“Oh! Zoro!”

Zoro and Visopp had barely registered Luffy flying towards them before the enormous crash into the snow nearly knocked them out.

Luffy popped up, laughing. “Geez, you startled me! I thought you were one of those guys working for Big-Mouth!”

“Will you be more _careful?!”_ Usopp shrieked as he and Vivi sat up, getting their bearings.

“Where’d the other one go?” Luffy added, looking around. “There was someone really tall.”

“That _was_ Visopp,” Zoro said, standing. Usopp used him to stand while Vivi got herself up. “And thanks to you, these two unfused.”

Luffy’s mouth dropped open. “Ah! Really?! I’m very sorry! Can you fuse again?!”

“Maybe later,” Vivi said, glancing back as Dalton exited the car. “More importantly, Luffy- _san_ , what happened to Wapol?”

* * *

“Hey, Princess, I’m all better!”

Vivi looked over as Nami jumped down from the balcony. “Oh, that’s good,” she said with a relieved smile. “You’re absolutely sure? One hundred percent?”

“Two hundred! Chopper’s a good doctor, we’re so lucky to have him . . .”

Muffled squeals and a wiggling arm around the corner told them Chopper was in earshot.

“But, as for what I wanted to ask before . . .”

“Before?”

“Before I got sick.” Nami held out a hand and winked. “Wanna fuse?”

Vivi covered her mouth, staring at Nami’s hand.

“We don’t have to. I heard you fused with Usopp on Drum?” she added, interested.

“Yes, it was . . . an experience,” Vivi said. She took Nami’s hand. “I’m honored, Nami- _san_.”

Nami led her to the center of the ship, spinning her around in a gentle ballroom fashion. Chopper peered around the corner curiously as they stepped in time to invisible music, trying to get a rhythm down—Vivi stepped on Nami’s toes, and Nami tried to hold Vivi’s other hand.

“How did you do it with Usopp?” she asked conversationally.

“You mean . . . the dancing?” Vivi said, biting her lip as she focused on placing her feet. “Well, neither of us could really—sorry—get a good pattern of steps down—but then the avalanche came, and I think that helped us . . . fuse very quickly . . . ?”

“For protection?” A nod. “That makes sense. I don’t know much about it myself, but strong desire or impending danger must make it easier . . .”

Nami brought her closer, their foreheads touching as they spun slowly; with one hand they held each other, the others outstretched and clasping, and it was in this manner that they began to glow.

Long hair, orange and blue and spun soft like cotton candy, floated from the woman’s body as she spun, eyes shut, three hands holding herself while one remained outstretched. Her outfit, too, had fused into a pink tank top and short shorts. As always, Nami’s tattoo remained on the left shoulder.

A scream snapped the woman from her reverie, and she opened her four eyes (the top two resembled Nami’s, the bottom two Vivi’s) to see Chopper staring at her in shock.

“Tony- _kun_ ,” she said, smiling and kneeling. She was about Zolu’s height. “Sorry, this must be strange to you.”

“What’s up, Chopper?” Usopp called, the scream having gotten his attention. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the woman. “ _Whoa!_ Giant woman!”

“Giant woman?” Sanji exclaimed, running out of the kitchen, ears sharp as ever when it came to his perverted senses. His eyes filled with hearts. “ _Giant woman!”_

“What’s going on?” Luffy said, coming around with Zoro. He grinned. “ _Oh!_ Nami and Vivi?”

A nod. “I think Navi works.” Navi looked back at Chopper. “This is your first time seeing fusion, isn’t it?”

“Boy, we have a lot to explain,” Usopp said with a sigh.

“No,” Chopper said to Navi, recovering. Sanji ran down and tried to get her attention as Chopper continued, “Luffy and Sanji . . . did something similar back at Drum. But they undid it immediately . . .”

Luffy laughed. “Oh, yeah, ’cause Sanji’s back hurt!”

“Watch your tongue,” Sanji hissed before turning back to Navi with a smile, taking a rose from his jacket and placing it between his teeth.

“But . . . what _is_ it?” Chopper said in wonder. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Fusion!” Luffy burst out, bouncing in place and grinning at Navi, who straightened up, ignoring Sanji. “Two people, they get in sync, see, and then they make one person!”

“That’s so _cool!”_ Chopper cried, eyes shining. “How’d you discover it?!”

Everyone looked to Luffy pointedly, who laughed and shrugged. “Long story. Well, no, it’s a short story, but I’ll tell you another time. Point is, it’s super cool and useful!”

“Have all of you fused?” Chopper exclaimed as Navi used just one hand to gently push Sanji away.

“Me n’ Zoro, me n’ Usopp, me n’ Sanji, me n’ Nami,” Luffy said. “And others.”

“Usopp and I have,” Zoro said. Usopp looked down.

“Yeah,” he said. “And me and Vivi, on Drum, before we came up to the castle!”

Sanji trudged to the railing, sulking against it.

“Luffy,” Navi said, turning to him, “can more than two fuse at a time?”

Luffy tilted his head.

“Yeah,” he said at last. “I’ve done it, once. It didn’t last long.”

“I suppose more than two makes it difficult to find balance,” Navi said thoughtfully.

Luffy lit up, looking around. “Hey! Can three of us try? Zoro, Sanji, how about you guys and me?”

“I’m not fusing with someone with moss for hair,” Sanji snapped, still annoyed about being ignored earlier.

“Yeah, I don’t really want stupid swirly eyebrows,” Zoro agreed.

“You say that again and I’ll kick you,” Sanji hissed.

“What, about your stupid eyebrow?”

Sanji leapt forward and they started to spar. Luffy stared at them in disappointment before turning to Navi hopefully. “Navi? What do you say?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Navi said. She held up a hand at Luffy’s expression. “Because you haven’t fused with—Vivi.”

“Come to think of it,” Usopp said, “if we wanted the best chance of balance, we _would_ have to do three people who have all fused with each other separately, and in that case, that’d be me, Zoro, and you, Luffy. But . . .” He frowned. “Well, I dunno about that, even . . .”

“It’s fine,” Luffy said dully, an aura of gloom surrounding him. “Maybe another time. Or something. Yeah.”

“Luffy, cheer up,” Usopp said hastily, patting his back. “Look, whenever Zoro and me fuse again, we’ll be more careful, right? Then when we’ve practiced enough, then you and me and him can fuse all together, if he says yes. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Luffy said, sadness already leaving as he quickly convinced himself Zoro would agree. Usopp hurried to Zoro and Sanji to break up their fight while Chopper frowned, staring at the floor.

“What’s up, Chopper?” Luffy asked. Sanji hurried to Navi, declared his undying love, and ran to the kitchen to make snacks for her and start on dinner.

“Can . . . is it possible for me to fuse?” he asked tentatively. “It sounds amazing, and looks amazing! But I don’t know if I . . . since I’m a reindeer . . .”

“We’ll find out sooner or later,” Luffy said with a careless grin, patting his shoulder. “In the meantime, wanna go fishing?”

Chopper brightened, and he, Luffy, and Usopp ran off to grab the fishing poles. Navi watched them go and glanced at Zoro, who was looking at her pensively. She tilted her head. He nodded after a moment and gave her a thumbs-up before leaving.

Navi unfused, and Nami helped Vivi stand. They shared secret smiles before Nami left to work on a map and Vivi waited by the mast to keep an eye on the boys fishing.

* * *

“A brother?!” Usopp exclaimed as he and the others ran along the road, Luffy running backwards to watch the fight between Ace and Smoker. “A brother! Luffy, why didn’t you tell us?!”

“I _did_ ,” Luffy said.

“You didn’t,” the others said in unison.

“I didn’t? My bad.”

Distracted, Luffy ran into an alleyway while his friends went the other way. He slowed, stopped, and looked around.

“Weird,” he said, sitting on his barrel. “Where’d they all go? I could’ve sworn they were right behind me.”

“Luffy, why aren’t you back at your ship?”

Luffy grinned at the familiar voice, looking around.

“Geez, here I went to all the trouble of keeping that Marine at bay . . .”

Luffy looked up with a broad grin as Ace leapt down from the roof.

“ _Ace!”_ he said, jumping at him, but to his surprise Ace stepped back. “How’ve you been?! I like your tattoos! Have you gotten stronger?!”

“Have you? You’re still so skinny!” Ace dodged another leap.

“Ace,” Luffy said, “come on! Let’s fuse again!”

“Remember when we got in trouble for hiding from chores?” Ace said as if he hadn’t heard him. “And then Dadan would whoop us . . .”

“Ace, let’s fuse,” Luffy insisted.

“Let’s see how much stronger you’ve become,” Ace said, still ignoring the demand. Luffy grinned, momentarily distracted, and they clasped hands on the barrel, straining against each other until it broke.

“I’m proud of you,” Ace said seriously, pulling his hand away from Luffy’s the second their bout ended. “I knew you’d be fine without me. Now let’s go find your friends. They must be at the harbor, right? Come on.”

“ _Ace._ ”

Ace stopped, having begun a brisk walk downhill. “What?” he said, not turning around.

“Why don’t you want to fuse?”

Silence. Ace didn’t look at him.

“Is there . . . something wrong?” Luffy shuffled and tapped his feet. “Is there something wrong with me? Or did something happen?”

“It’s not you.” Ace turned to look at him, eyes grim. “It’s my fault. I didn’t know . . .”

“Know what?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to fuse.” Ace gripped his left arm. “Luffy, I want to be with you again . . . more than anything. But, the thing is . . .”

* * *

The Strawhats were knocked over like bowling pins when Luffy crashed into the railing. He picked himself up, laughing. “Sorry!”

“If you were really sorry, you’d stop doing that!” Zoro snapped.

“Where did you _go?”_ Vivi exclaimed. “You were right behind us, and then—?”

“Where’d _you_ go?” Luffy shot back. “I mean, geez, I turn my back for one minute on you guys—!”

“You’re not one to talk,” Sanji hissed. “Regardless, do you think your brother’s okay? That fight looked intense.”

“But it was outdoors,” Chopper said, confused.

“He’s fine!” Luffy exclaimed, still smiling. “We, um, we met up back there, and talked, and then some guys came after us so he told me to go ahead. Boy, I wasn’t expecting to see him! What a surprise! He’s really strong now, isn’t he? I bet I could beat him in a fight, though!”

All this was said very quickly, but before anyone could question him, someone said, “ _Who_ could you beat?” just before Ace leapt up from his dinghy to clock Luffy in the back of the head.

“Hi, Ace,” Luffy said with a sheepish grin, looking up at him. Ace hopped to the deck, dusting himself off and eyeing Luffy with a good-natured scowl.

“I’m Ace,” he said to the others. He bowed. “Thanks for taking care of my little brother.”

“No problem,” the others said, bowing in turn. Ace grinned and pointed at Sanji’s cigarette, which relighted itself. Sanji glanced at him, impressed, and then looked to Luffy.

“Luffy,” he said. “You mentioned before you’d fused with someone for years. Is this him?”

“Yeah,” Luffy said, smile fading. Ace folded his arms, shifting against the railing.

“ _Years?”_ Usopp cried. “Amazing!”

“When physical or emotional turmoil alone can separate a fusion?” Nami said in wonder. “Just how well did you two work together?”

“Impressive,” Zoro said, gazing at Ace with a new respect.

“Brothers are amazing,” Chopper whispered.

“Are you two . . . going to fuse again, now?” Vivi asked tentatively.

Luffy pulled his hat down, wiggling in place, and Ace crossed his arms, gripping himself so hard he might bruise.

“Guys?” Usopp said in worry when they remained silent.

“Ace . . . has to go again, soon, so there’s no time,” Luffy said, rocking where he sat. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Ace said. “Sorry to cut my stay short. Just came to check on Luffy.”

“Is there something you’re not—?” Usopp began, but Sanji cut him off with a nudge.

“You wanna ride with us until—where’re we headed, Vivi?” Luffy asked, still not quite looking at anyone.

“We’re sailing to the Sandora Delta,” Vivi said patiently.

“Until then, yeah,” Luffy said.

“If that’s alright with everyone,” Ace said.

The others agreed, and they continued on their way.

* * *

“You’re amazing.”

Ace glanced up at Zoro. “How’s that?”

“If you two really fused for years, I’m amazed you could put up with him for that long.”

Ace laughed. “He had to put up with me, too. It was a mutual thing.”

He stared wistfully at Luffy playing with Usopp while they washed dishes.

“What’s it like, for you?”

“You mean fusion?” Zoro said.

Ace nodded. “You must’ve done it with him. There’s no way he wouldn’t want to try it with his new friends.”

Zoro leaned back in his chair. “We’ve only fused twice. It was . . . easy, even the first time. There’s something about him that makes it simple to get into sync . . . or maybe it’s just me and him. I wouldn’t know.” He closed his eyes. “Being with Luffy, for me . . . Zolu’s instinct-driven practically all the way, and very confident in that sense.”

“And the others?” Ace pressed.

“Me and Usopp . . . well, Zosopp was . . . a little out-of-control,” Zoro said. The others quieted their activities, eavesdropping. “He was too arrogant. I’m sure we’ll be better the next time we fuse.”

Luffy tapped Usopp to show him a funny face, making him laugh, and they resumed their play, Sanji likewise returning to his cleaning.

“Well,” Ace said. “That’s fine, but I meant the others with Luffy.”

“You’d have to ask one of them, then.”

“Right, right.”

Zoro opened his eyes to see Ace playing with his hair in agitation.

“Have you fused with your crewmates?” he asked. “You’re under Whitebeard, aren’t you?”

“I have,” Ace said shortly. “Though most of the others don’t seem to be able to do it.”

He stared at the table, and Zoro, having nothing more to add, closed his eyes again.

* * *

Luffy gazed after Ace, clenching the paper he’d been given, as he vanished into the desert. They hadn’t touched at all after setting sail; several times they’d almost clasped hands, or patted the other’s shoulder, but both had withdrawn every time as if afraid of something.

“Let’s go,” he said at last, smiling as if trying to force himself to cheer up.

* * *

Ace reclined in his boat, leisurely sailing away into the ocean. He pulled his hat over his eyes, shielding them from the sun.

“Luffy . . . I’m sorry.”

* * *

“So, Mr. 3 . . . you’re saying despite orders, you failed to eliminate the Strawhats?”

“Y—Yes,” Mr. 3 whispered. “But, Mr. 0! There’s more! Two of them displayed a very strange technique, it was almost a work of art—”

“I don’t have time to listen to failures,” Crocodile interrupted, standing.

* * *

As Zoro and Sanji argued for perhaps the tenth time that day, despite already being exhausted from the trek and the heat, Usopp came up behind them.

“Listen,” he said gently, placing his hands on their shoulders. “You two really just need to fuse and make up.”

They knocked his hands away, glaring at him with scary faces, and he shrunk back defensively.

“I’m just saying!” he exclaimed. “I mean, first off, I bet you guys would be really cool fused together, right? And you and Luffy took down that big lizard earlier! Imagine, if all three of you could’ve fused—!”

“I don’t want stupid swirly eyebrows on my face!” Zoro snapped.

“And I don’t want such a dumb hair color!” Sanji hissed.

“Who cares what you look like?!” Usopp exclaimed. “You’d be super cool no matter what! Just fuse!”

“Just fuse!” Luffy echoed.

“Just fuse!” Chopper echoed.

“Again, I’m not fusing with this guy!” Sanji kicked Zoro’s shin.

“Feeling’s mutual!” Zoro elbowed him in the chest.

“Will you _please_ preserve your energy back there?” Navi said in exasperation, looking down from Lashes. Nami and Vivi had fused in order to save strength, despite the others complaining that she would be riding a camel and didn’t need to do any such thing. “We have a ways to go, you know!”

“Of course, Navi- _chan_ , my love!” Sanji cried. Zoro rolled his eyes. The others had decided not to fuse on the grounds that _if_ they fused, they would be taller, and therefore closer to the sun, and therefore even warmer (despite Navi’s desperate attempts to explain that that wasn’t how that worked).

“Any idea how much farther, Navi?” Luffy added after recovering from disappointment.

Navi thought for a bit and told him.

“That far?” he whined. “But I’m so tired . . .”

“We all are!” Usopp pointed out. “Just bear it for a bit.”

Chopper collapsed into the sand.

* * *

Navi unfused when they reached Yuba, Vivi’s shock at its state too great to keep them together. The Strawhats spent a restful unfused night in the tiny house Toto offered them, and set off again in the morning.

Ignoring the protests of the others, Luffy set Vivi straight with his fists halfway to Rainbase, leaving her with a bruise and angry tears as she knelt on the ground, clenching the hot sand and burning her hands.

“You’re right,” she whispered. Raising her voice, she repeated, “You’re right. Luffy- _san_ , fuse with me.”

“Okay,” he said without even pausing to think. He offered her his hand, and she took it, standing. He pulled her into him and they clutched each other, spinning only once, so in-sync they were already that that was all they needed to fuse.

The crew stared at the person in shock. The person stared back at them with three soft and determined eyes, Luffy’s scar where it always was, and wild cobalt hair loosely tied up. They were as tall as Navi, and four arms (sprouting close from two shoulder sockets) hung by their sides, fists first clenched then loosened.

“Well?” they said when everyone kept staring. “Let’s go. Crocodile won’t defeat himself.”

Luvi (one could only assume their name was Luvi) whirled around and pulled Luffy’s hat over their head. The others shook themselves out of shock and hurried after them, Luvi’s strides greater than the crew’s.

“Why?” Sanji whispered as they trekked. “Why can’t I fuse with a beautiful girl? What does Luffy have that I don’t?”

“Well, he’s younger,” Usopp said, counting on his fingers, “and cuter, and more charismatic, and not desperate, and possibly stronger, and, _what,_ Chopper?”

Chopper, who had started frantically tugging on Usopp’s robe when Usopp had mentioned being cute, pointed to Sanji. Usopp looked to Sanji and felt a chill run down his neck despite the heat when he saw the dangerous aura emitting from him. Sanji wasn’t even looking at him, staring straight ahead with a murderous gaze.

“But, I mean,” he continued, voice cracking, “you’ve got a lot of things going for you, too! Um, you’re an awesome cook—”

“Debatable,” Zoro said.

“Zoro, _do you want to die?!_ And, um, you’re very handsome, I must say, your hair always looks good, I don’t know how you do it even when we’re out at sea, you’re really nice most of the time, _will you please stop looking like you want to kill someone?!”_

* * *

“Phew,” Luvi sighed, unfusing as they stopped under a desert palm. Vivi leaned against the trunk while Luffy hopped to his feet, still full of energy.

“Let’s get some water!” he exclaimed, bouncing in place. “Usopp, come on!”

“Be careful,” Vivi exclaimed, sitting up. “The casino here is run by Crocodile. There are probably Baroque agents hanging around.”

“We’ll be careful,” Luffy said carelessly. “Usopp!”

“Yeah!” Usopp exclaimed, hurrying after him and tripping over his feet. They ran off from the others.

“Will they really be okay?” Nami sighed, sitting next to Vivi.

* * *

“Luffy!”

Luffy screeched to a stop when Usopp grabbed him by the shoulder. He looked back. “What now?”

“I have an idea,” Usopp said. “Baroque Works knows your face, right?”

“Right.”

“And thanks to that Mr. 2 bastard, they probably know mine, right?”

“Probably.”

“But thanks to Sanji, they don’t know . . . _him_. You know?”

A grin slowly came onto Luffy’s face. “I get it . . . yeah! You’re smart, Usopp!”

* * *

Lusopp, tall and gangling, hurried into the café and ordered water, clambering onto a barstool. He drank some down right away, thirsty from earlier efforts during the desert trek. The water barrel Luffy had worn hung around his neck at the front, and Luffy’s straw hat hung at the back.

“How refreshing,” he sighed before taking another gulp. Just as he did so, he turned to his left, and Smoker and Tashigi, sitting next to him, looked to their right.

Lusopp’s eyes widened and he spat the water into their faces.

“It’s you!” he yelled. “No, wait, I’m like this, so it’s fine! Never mind!”

Tashigi handed Smoker a towel, staring at Lusopp, and Smoker eyed him with suspicion. “Have we met?”

Lusopp shook his head. Smoker stared at them, studied the scar under the left eye and the long nose, and spotted the hat.

“That straw hat,” he muttered. “It looks familiar . . .”

“ _He figured it out!”_ Lusopp yelled, and promptly bolted for the door.

* * *

“Oh, there they are,” Nami said in relief, spotting a running, yelling figure. “Wait—”

“Guys!” Lusopp yelled. “Captain Smokey’s here! We’re all doomed!”

“The Marines?!” Chopper cried.

“Okay,” Sanji said, gritting his teeth as he looked behind Lusopp. “So _why are you bringing them here, stupid?!”_

* * *

Lusopp stared despondently through the bars of the cage while Smoker stared at him and Zoro rolled his eyes.

“What a clever trap,” he whispered.

“It was _not!”_ Nami snapped, smacking him. “You’re the idiot who led us down here!”

“It _was_ pretty tricky,” Zoro said solemnly. “A triple-bluff.”

Nami buried her face in her robe and screamed.

“Just so you know, I don’t plan to attack anyone in here,” Smoker said gruffly. “There’s nowhere to go. I’ll just arrest you all when we’re out.”

“That’s fair,” Zoro said with a nod.

“But what I want to know,” Smoker continued, staring at Lusopp, “is who _this_ guy is.”

“Hi, I’m Lusopp,” Lusopp said helpfully.

“There was a kid with a goblin nose on your crew, wasn’t there?” Smoker said. “And that’s Strawhat’s signature hat.”

“Goblin?! Rude!” Lusopp huffed.

“Well, that’s a long story, and pretty personal,” Zoro said. “Though, if he wants to tell you about it . . .”

Lusopp stuck out his tongue. “I’m not telling.” He turned to the bars and studied them. “Wonder if I can break these?”

He seized them, and a shock ran through his body before he unfused. Luffy and Usopp sat up, shaking their heads, and Smoker’s cigar fell from his mouth.

“Ow,” Luffy whined. “What _was_ that?”

“Anti-fusion bars!” Usopp cried.

“What?! Really?!”

“That must be it!”

“Oh, no! I didn’t know that was a thing!”

“There’s no other explanation!”

“They’re not . . . whatever you just said,” Smoker said, still staring at them. He drew out his jutte and pressed it to Luffy’s chest, immobilizing him on the ground. “It’s Seastone. A solid material that holds the essence of the ocean . . . and because of that, it neutralizes Devil Fruits. It’s supposedly harder than diamond.”

“What happened to not attacking?” Zoro snapped, placing a hand on a sword.

Smoker withdrew his jutte, and Luffy sat up, coughing dramatically. “He’s fine, isn’t he? That’s why I can’t just fly through the bars.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Luffy said, recovering. He and Usopp stood. “Mystery bars. Got it.”

“But how did you . . . combine like that?” Smoker said, placing his weapon back into its sheath.

“Geez, I guess we might as well tell you,” Usopp said, folding his arms. “See, when two of us—”

“Well, well . . . the Strawhat pirates.”

Crocodile had arrived at last.

* * *

“Can’t one of you fuse and do something?!” Nami shrieked.

“Fusing won’t grant the ability to cut the bars, I’m pretty sure!” Zoro snapped.

“And the water’s . . . too high . . .” Luffy collapsed, kneeling in the waves. “For me . . . to . . . fuse . . . with . . .”

“Luffy, _don’t die!”_ Usopp yelled, picking him up and shaking him.

* * *

Zoro scowled at the approaching Ms. Doublefinger and Mr. 1, sauntering as if they had all the time in the world.

“Hey, Nami,” he said. “If you want, we can fuse and—”

He turned around, but Nami was gone.

“She ran off,” he muttered. “ _Great.”_

* * *

“Where’d he _go?”_ Nami moaned in horror, backed into a street with Ms. Doublefinger. “That jerk! Why didn’t he stay and fuse with me?!”

* * *

“And that moment . . . is when his friend’s dream is laughed at!” Usopp coughed and stood his ground. “ _I can’t let you laugh at that!”_

“He’s still alive!” Ms. Merry Christmas shrieked.

“Chopper!” Usopp yelled. “Come over here! Quick! Fuse with me!”

“Right!” Chopper yelled. He transformed into Horn Point, galloped towards Usopp, and turned big. “What do we do?!”

“Follow my lead!” Usopp grinned at Ms. Merry Christmas and Mr. 4. “We have something amazing to show you! Watch this!”

“As if!” Ms. Merry Christmas scoffed, but before she could do anything, Mr. 4 put his hand in front of her.

“You want to see it?!” she snapped, incredulous.

“Now, do what I do! We’ll get in-sync!” Usopp shimmied his shoulders and stepped from side to side, first right, then left, then left, then right again. Chopper mirrored him, keeping an eye on their enemies.

Usopp took Chopper’s hand and gestured. Chopper swung Usopp’s arm over his head, lifting him briefly in the air, and then took him back the other way. The steps were repeated, over and over, until finally Usopp’s instincts told him it was time, and the next time Chopper took his hand, he took Chopper’s upper arms and pressed the two of them together.

When the blinding light faded, a huge man stood in Usopp’s and Chopper’s place. He was muscular, and his nose was long and blue. Three round eyes blinked in the desert sun, and a long blue nose stuck out between them. Light brown curly hair fluffed out from under a pink top hat.

“Should be smaller,” he murmured, and shrank down to about Usopp’s height. He was now furrier in his limbs, and had more deer-like legs as well as hooved extremities. His eyes had shifted—he now had four, two on either side of the normally-placed ones. Antlers stuck out from his hat.

“What kind of technique is this?!” Ms. Merry Christmas shrieked. “Come to think of it, Mr. 3 was trying to tell Crocodile about a strange technique the Strawhats used! A stranechnique! A strique! Could this be it?!”

“I am . . . Chosopp!” Chosopp declared, turning to them. “Come at me, you penguin and strike-out batter and weird gun!”

“I’m a _mole!”_ Ms. Merry Christmas screamed. “Get ready, Mr. 4!”

She dove under the ground and seized Chosopp’s legs, dragging him along the sand towards Mr. 4.

“Oh, no!” he cried. “You got me!”

He grinned and reached into his bag. “Let’s see . . . this is it, right? _Smoke star!”_

He fired the smoke bomb in front of him and knelt, pushing himself off the ground to backflip out of Ms. Merry Christmas’s grip. Before she could do a thing, Chosopp transformed again so he stood on all fours, looking more deer-like than ever with enormous horns. He had three eyes again. 

“You underestimated me!” he exclaimed, charging. He scooped up Ms. Merry Christmas, bringing her in for Mr. 4’s final blow. As Mr. 4 stared, shocked at what he’d done, Chosopp transformed into the huge, muscular form again, and reached into the bag for Usopp’s hammer.

“And now, take this!” he yelled. “The ultimate attack of combined strength and skill!”

With a mighty swing, he struck Mr. 4 with the hammer, sending him and Lassoo into the ruins near Ms. Merry Christmas. Chosopp turned around, refusing to look back at the explosion as he walked away.

He fell to his knees, turning smaller again.

“That was stressful,” he whispered. He checked the bag, brightened, and pulled out medical supplies, treating some of his wounds.

“Okay,” he said when he was able to walk again. “Gotta find Sanji! He might need back-up! ‘Chosopp! You’re amazing! You came to rescue me?!’ ‘Of course I did! Don’t flatter me!’ ‘You’re my hero!’”

* * *

“What now?” Sanji snapped when he saw the approaching figure. He kicked them to the ground swiftly. “I don’t have time for—”

“Sanji, why?” the person croaked weakly, struggling to their feet.

Sanji squinted at them. “Wait . . .”

“I’m Chosopp,” Chosopp said, wincing. “I guess you don’t need help after all . . .”

“Nope. These are for Usopp.” He tossed Chosopp the goggles.

“Thanks—Sanji! Guess what? I took care of a team by myself!” Chosopp said brightly. “It was amazing!”

“I’m proud of you,” Sanji said with a grin.

“Proud? Well, geez,” Chosopp said, squirming in place. “You didn’t have to put it like that! Such a jerk! Say it again!”

He doubled over in pain and unfused.

“My ribs,” Usopp whispered.

“Ow,” Chopper whimpered. He sat up. “Geez, you’re _really_ hurt, Usopp! Let me fix you up!”

“I think the fusion helped heal me,” Usopp said bravely, trying and failing to stand.

Sanji sighed. “Get on Lashes. Hey, shitty camel, it’s an emergency. I know he’s not a lady, but make an exception.”

Lashes grunted and allowed Chopper to place Usopp on his back when the bandaging was done.

* * *

“You’re such a jerk!” Nami cried, tears in her eyes. “Why didn’t you stay and fuse with me?!”

“I would’ve if _you_ hadn’t run off!” Zoro snapped. “Are you okay? Did you beat her?”

“Barely! I will have _words_ with Usopp when I see him!”

Nami turned on her heel and tripped.

“Carry me?” she whispered, turning to look at Zoro pleadingly.

Zoro sighed and knelt to pick her up.

* * *

Luffy swooced right in and picked up Vivi on the back of Pell. They soared above the city, and as Luffy held her tightly, they fused into Luvi again.

“Everyone’s okay,” they said, spotting the Strawhats below. “Pell! Take me down there, please!”

Pell glided down and dropped off Luvi, staring at them in shock as he transformed into a human again.

“Who are—” he began, but Sanji cut him off.

“Luvi?” he said. “Then that means . . .”

“Luffy’s alive after all!” Chopper said, smiling.

“I knew it all along,” Usopp said, crying with relief.

Luvi unfused. “Okay, Vivi,” Luffy said. “I’m gonna take care of Crocodile. Can you handle the situation up here?”

She nodded. He grinned and ran off, yelling a battle cry.

* * *

“Usopp!”

Usopp stumbled to a halt and turned to see Zoro approaching. It was the second day after their battles, and Luffy had yet to wake up, still tossing and turning with a high fever.

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” he asked, squinting.

“You should be, too,” Zoro pointed out.

“I’m not the one who got cut to ribbons!”

Zoro knocked on his chest and Usopp doubled over in pain.

“Anyway, what’s up?” he asked once he could speak without wheezing.

“Uh . . .” Zoro rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you want to fuse again?”

Usopp froze. “Oh,” he said, holding his shoulder. “Are you sure?”

“I thought it’d be good to practice.” Zoro closed his eyes. “We probably won’t ever need to fuse as long as we did last time, but . . . that arrogance can be dangerous.”

“Right.” Usopp took a deep breath and held out his hand; Zoro opened his eyes. “I’m ready when you are.”

Zoro nodded and reached out.

“ _There_ you are!”

The outraged shriek interrupted them, and they yanked their hands back, spotting Chopper running down the hall in human form.

“Get back to bed!” he yelled, grabbing Zoro. “You’re not fully healed!”

Usopp laughed. “Another time, Zoro!”

“You, too!” Chopper seized Usopp and dragged them both away.

* * *

Only a day had passed since she’d joined the crew when Robin approached Luffy, who was fishing off the railing with Usopp.

“Luffy,” she said. “I saw something interesting in Alabasta. Do you mind if I ask you about it?”

“Sure,” he said, glancing at her curiously. Usopp squinted suspiciously, and Nami made it no secret she was eavesdropping, as did Zoro, who was only pretending to nap.

“When you saved Princess Vivi,” she said, “some kind of light came from somewhere . . . and maybe I’m imagining things, but I thought I only saw one person on the back of the falcon after that.”

“You weren’t imagining things,” Luffy said cheerfully. “That was fusion!”

Usopp groaned, Nami slapped herself, and Zoro rolled his eyes.

“Fusion,” Robin repeated, brow furrowing. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s where two people get together and become one person,” Luffy explained. He pulled up his line, frowned at the empty hook, and hooked a new worm on the end, tossing it back in. “A bunch of us have done it. Usopp, didn’t you say you did it with Chopper?”

“Yeah,” Usopp said, reluctant to reveal information in front of Robin. “We became Chosopp, and he defeated the batter and the mole-woman.”

Robin took note of his phrasing, but didn’t question him. Sanji came out on deck for a smoke break and noticed their conversation.

“And me and Sanji become Sanlu,” Luffy continued brightly, “and me and Zoro are Zolu, and me and Nami are Luna, and me and Usopp are—well, you get the idea!”

 _Don’t ask her to fuse with you,_ Usopp thought, trying to send his message telepathically.

 _Don’t ask her to fuse with you,_ Nami thought, pinching the bridge of her nose.

 _Don’t ask her to fuse with you,_ Sanji thought, wanting to fuse with Robin first.

“I see,” Robin said at last. “That’s fascinating. Thank you, Luffy.”

“No problem,” Luffy said cheerfully.

Robin walked away, retiring to the women’s quarters. Usopp, Nami, and Sanji stared at Luffy in surprise.

“Hm?” he said, spotting them looking. “What’s up?”

“You didn’t ask her to fuse,” Nami said in wonder. “I thought you asked _everyone_ new.”

“Well, he didn’t ask Chopper,” Usopp pointed out. “Then again, we didn’t know he _could_ fuse until recently, and things were pretty hectic, even after we set sail from Drum—”

“Yeah, I don’t ask _everyone_ ,” Luffy said indignantly.

“But why not her?” Usopp repeated.

Luffy shifted where he sat. “Just didn’t feel like it is all.”

The others let his lie be.


	3. Flying Fortress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're soaring, flying,

“Goodbye and good luck, my sweet Nami- _san!”_ Sanji cried. She waved, not turning around as she, Luffy, and Zoro headed into Mock Town to find information on the island in the sky.

“Are you leaving, too?” Chopper asked Robin, noticing she was eyeing the other part of the island.

“Yes, in a moment,” she replied, checking her bag’s contents.

Sanji smiled at her, about to pay a compliment, when Usopp cleared his throat. “Sanji?”

“What?” Sanji snapped, turning to him.

“Do you want to fuse?”

Sanji’s frown disappeared. Chopper stared and Robin, about to leave, stopped and turned back, curious.

“How come?” Sanji asked. “You want to do something?”

“No, I just thought it’d be good. For future battles, right? We’ve never fused before.”

Sanji leaned back, hands in his pockets. “I . . . yeah, alright.”

It was obvious he was pleased Usopp had thought to ask, and Usopp noticed, though he said nothing and only grinned. “Okay! Great! Let’s do it!”

Sanji offered his hand and Usopp accepted. Chopper and Robin gave them room as they held hands and awkwardly moved in sync. The dance was simple, stepping first forward, then back, then sideways, then opposite. They bobbed their shoulders and rocked their feet, each thinking of a different song with the same rhythm.

Robin shielded her eyes when the shining light of fusion came, as she wasn’t expecting it. The light faded, leaving a single man standing on the deck. He was about as tall as Zosopp, and had four slim arms and three eyes, the middle one with two independent pupils. His eyebrows were thick and curly just like his blonde hair, and his nose, as always, was just like Usopp’s. He was a bit lanky to boot, but it was clear his legs would pack a kick like Sanji’s.

“Oh, how cool,” he whispered, studying his hands and feet. Overalls covered a dress shirt with four rolled-up sleeves, and oddly a necktie lay over the whole thing. He grinned at Chopper. “Hey! What do you think?”

“So cool!” Chopper squealed, jumping up and down. “What’s your name?!”

“Sanuso,” Sanuso declared with two clenched fists, kneeling next to him. “Yeah, that sounds right! Aren’t I cool?!”

“You’re really cool!” Chopper cried.

“Yeah! I—”

Sanuso turned to see Robin kneeling by him, studying his form intently. He grinned and promptly unfused; Robin backed away as Sanji approached her, leaving Usopp rubbing his behind on the deck.

“Robin- _chan_ , you can examine my body anytime you like,” Sanji exclaimed helpfully, smiling and wiggling in place.

“Can’t you get your feelings under control?” Usopp complained, standing with Chopper’s help. “I mean, geez, this is the second time! What if we’re in a serious situation and a pretty girl walks by?”

“I can handle myself!” Sanji snapped, turning around. He looked back, but Robin had taken the opportunity to leave the ship.

“And speaking of fusions, why is my name always last in them?” Usopp added petulantly.

“What?” Chopper said.

“Zosopp, Lusopp, Chosopp, Visopp, and now Sanuso,” Usopp said, counting on his fingers. “It’s ridiculous!”

“Huh, really?”

“Your fusions never seem to mind too much,” Sanji pointed out. “Besides, think about it . . . the -sopp part of your name is more recognizable, right?”

“What?”

“I mean, look,” Sanji said, waving a hand. “If more fusions went with your name in front, they’d all be Uso-something. Considering your reputation, do you really want that to be your legacy?”

“Hey,” Usopp said with a hurt face. “Well, I see your point, but don’t be rude.”

“Chosopp could be Usocho if you want,” Chopper offered. “Or Usopper. Do you think he’d mind?”

“No, I guess Chosopp sounds best,” Usopp said. “It’s not a big deal.” He brightened as Sanji went into the kitchen. “Speaking of which, as long as we need to fix the deck, wanna fuse again?”

Chopper grinned and nodded.

* * *

“Are you _sure_ you’re okay?” Chosopp demanded as he fixed Luffy’s wounds, two eyes on his other side swiveling over Zoro and analyzing his injuries.

“We’re fine,” Luffy and Zoro said together.

“Never mind about us, you’re Chosopp, right?” Zoro added.

“Oh, yeah, we haven’t met,” Chosopp exclaimed. “Yeah, that’s me!”

“You look awesome,” Luffy said, grinning. “You’re like a—say deer?”

“Satyr?” Sanji said, coming down from the upper deck.

“That’s the one.”

Chosopp grinned as he moved onto Zoro’s wounds. “I’m _not_ awesome, you lying liar! Say it again!”

He finished treating Zoro and looked around. “By the way, did you get information? On the sky island!”

Nami shot him a scary glare and his form promptly changed.

“Guard point,” he whispered, rolling away in a ball of fluff.

Just as Nami finished her rant, everyone staying well away from her, Robin returned. She was about to speak, but spotted Chosopp and stared, caught by surprise.

“Hi,” Chosopp said nervously, noticing her staring. He turned back to normal and stood.

“Hello,” Robin said. She cleared her throat as they unfused. “I found information, if anyone’s willing to listen.”

* * *

“Please, Nami- _san?”_

“I said no.”

Sanji clasped his hands together as he, she, and Usopp walked through the forest. “But why not?”

“Why should we? There’s no emergency.”

“Well, say a battle comes up—shouldn’t we practice fusing?”

“That was my line,” Usopp said, hurt.

“Oh?” Nami said to Sanji. “But I’m sure that if a battle comes up, you can protect me all by yourself, can’t you?”

“Of course, Nami- _san_ , my dear!”

“Then that’s settled. Just focus on catching that bird right now.”

A spider crept onto her back and she and Sanji shrieked.

* * *

“They sound like they’re having fun,” Luffy said, hearing a scream from far away.

“Um, Luffy,” Chopper said, trotting alongside him, “I wanted to ask . . .”

“What’s up?”

“When I fused with Usopp earlier,” Chopper explained, “I noticed he was . . . well . . .”

“Oh, that?” Luffy said. “What about it?”

“You know? Then it’s nothing to worry about?” Chopper said in relief.

“I don’t think so,” Luffy said, squinting at a tree. “There’s nothing wrong with leaning on someone, right? Especially if the person being leaned on is okay with it.”

“I guess not.”

“He probably won’t have to, someday,” Luffy continued. “But until then, I don’t mind if he wants to keep doing it. Do you?”

“Of course not!”

“That’s good. And the others don’t, too. As long as things don’t get out of control again, everything’s fine.”

Chopper had heard what had happened with Zosopp from Zoro, and nodded.

“Now, where’s this stupid bird?” Luffy muttered, taking his shirt and chewing on it in frustration.

“Do you wanna fuse to look?” Chopper asked, brightening. “Maybe it’ll help!”

Luffy removed his shirt, wiping away the spit, and looked up in the tree. “Not here . . .”

“Luffy? Do you wanna fuse?”

“Well,” Luffy said, not looking at Chopper, “let’s keep trying without that, okay?”

“Oh . . . okay,” Chopper said, frowning.

* * *

“How did you discover it?” Robin asked. “Fusing, I mean?”

“Luffy,” Zoro said shortly. “He never explained how _he_ discovered it.”

Robin nodded. “We’re going this way, by the way,” she added, pointing. Zoro stiffened and turned the correct direction.

“Why’d you ask?” he added, following her reluctantly.

“Just curious. It’s fascinating.”

“I guess it is.”

* * *

“ _Now_ can we fuse?!” Chopper cried as he and Luffy sprinted away from the giant hornets.

“Just focus on running!” Luffy yelled, pouring on the speed and zooming ahead. Chopper was quick to follow.

* * *

“Thanks,” Nami whispered once she got her balance on the giant branch. They hadn’t been on the sky island for even a day, and already trouble had found them.

“No problem,” Robin replied.

“Hey,” Nami said, looking up at her. “Do you want to fuse? It’d be your first time, right?”

“I don’t, thank you,” Robin said with a shake of her head.

“Oh,” Nami said, disappointed. “How come?”

“Nami, you didn’t want to fuse at first either, remember?” Zoro said. “Fusing is a pretty personal thing, so if someone doesn’t want to do it, that’s their choice.”

Nami looked down, embarrassed. “I . . . yeah. Well, the offer’s open if you change your mind, sis.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Robin said. “Now, where are we headed?”

* * *

“Damn . . .”

Sanji, Luffy, and Usopp pulled themselves to their feet, glaring at Satori.

“This guy’s tough,” Sanji hissed.

Luffy cracked his knuckles. “We gotta do this somehow. That boat’s getting away.”

Usopp’s eyes widened. “I know! What if all three of us fuse?”

Luffy and Sanji stared at him.

“That’s actually a good idea,” Sanji sad slowly.

Luffy frowned. “Hey, weren’t you saying before that if we wanted to fuse with three people, we’d have to do three who’ve all fused separately? You and Sanji haven’t fused!”

“We have,” Sanji and Usopp said together.

“For a little bit, back in Jaya,” Usopp explained.

“Without _me?”_

“You can meet Sanuso later,” Sanji said. “In the meantime, are you in?”

“Of course I’m in! Let’s do this!”

“Now, now, what will you do now?” Satori sang, bouncing from ball to ball. Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp began dancing and he stared. “Leisure, at a time like this? You Blue Sea people sure are cocky!”

“Geez, this is hard,” Usopp muttered, stumbling. He got back into position as he, Luffy, and Sanji circled, trying to spin and raise hands in sync. “Luffy, you said you did this before?”

“Yeah, but it didn’t last long,” Luffy said, sticking out his tongue in concentration. “Uh . . . after that we just did two at a time.”

“If this works, we won’t _have_ to stay together for long,” Sanji pointed out, swaying his hips as he spun.

Satori, assuming the display was harmless, watched from his perch, hopping on one leg. Luffy held out his hands; Usopp and Sanji each took one and clasped their own hands. They pulled in close, but nothing happened, and they pulled back. From above, they resembled synchronized swimmers, and in the next moment, their forms were surrounded by intense light. Satori shielded his face as the smaller bodies morphed and combined into an enormous form.

“Wow . . .”

The man, nearly half the height of one of the trees, studied his four hands in amazement. Limber, powerful legs held him up, covered by black denim shorts. Overall straps hung loosely over a collared red T-shirt and bowtie.

“So cool,” the man whispered, reaching up a hand to adjust dirty blonde curly hair, never combed. Five eyes, two stacked on two and one on the forehead, looked at Satori, and he crouched and grinned, showing two sets of teeth as he said, “What’ll you do now, dumpling man?”

“Wh— _what?!”_ Satori shrieked, rolling around and around on his ball in shock. He floated backwards, clinging to it and staring at the giant man with a hanging mouth. “Who are you?!”

“Lujisopp,” the man said proudly, placing the straw hat on his head. He frowned. “Hey, that doesn’t sound right. Usosanlu? No . . . maybe Sanlusopp? Yeah, that’s good. I’m Sanlusopp.”

“That’s a mouthful!”

“A mouthful? What a good idea. Maybe I’ll eat you up!”

Sanlusopp leaned forward, taking a huge bite, and Satori rolled back just in time.

“Oh? What happened to that Mantra of yours?” Sanlusopp asked. “Don’t worry, I won’t really eat you. You aren’t fried enough.”

“Fried?!”

“Don’t you know anything? You need to fry dumplings. Start up a fire and get them sizzling, and make sure they’re nice and meaty. But what are we doing, making small talk? I have a boat to catch, and I can’t do it when I’m this big. So are you going let me go, or will we do this the hard way?”

“Screw you!” Satori screamed. “Come forth, Ball Dragon!”

Sanlusopp looked around and spotted the creation flying towards him. He straightened up, spun out of the way, and stepped behind Satori, crouching so his face was just behind his enemy.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” Satori cried. “If you do that, we’ll both go down!”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Sanlusopp said. “The bigger they are, the harder they are to knock down.”

“That’s not how that expression goes!”

“No? Too bad, because I’m about to prove my version right. In any case, it was nice meeting you!” Sanlusopp tilted his head. “This fusion really shocked you, huh? Your Mantra must be awful right now if you can’t dodge what’s right in front of you.”

Satori whipped around, and Sanlusopp kicked him directly into the Ball Dragon. A blinding explosion left Satori reeling.

“I hate to admit it, but that freak was right,” he gasped, staring at the hole in the ground he’d barely avoided being part of. “Focus . . . focus. Mantra, come back to me . . .”

“A little late for that!”

Satori screamed in surprise and looked around to see someone else clinging to his back, rubbery arms wrapped all around.

“Hi there, I’m Lusopp,” Lusopp said with a grin.

“Now where did _you_ come from?!”

“He was two-thirds of the guy from before.” Satori turned back to the front to see a slightly battered Sanji floating forward on his own ball. “And I’m the last third. Better pray to your God, because you’re about to see him.”

* * *

Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji laughed, throwing arms around each other’s shoulders and clapping each other’s backs in excitement.

“That was _amazing!”_ Usopp cried.

“Great job, you guys,” Sanji exclaimed.

“We did it, we really did it!” Luffy said, nearly crying in happiness.

“I can’t wait to tell everyone how cool we were!” Usopp exclaimed. “But, in the meantime, _the boat’s getting away!”_

* * *

Sanji lit his cigarette while Luffy and Usopp apologized for making fun of him.

“So once again, my name is last in the fusion,” Usopp said, recovering from his injuries.

“Are you still on about that?” Sanji said, irritated. “I get you’re disappointed, but I think _any_ name for a fusion of three or more is gonna be a mouthful.”

“‘A mouthful? What a good idea. Maybe I’ll eat you up!’” Luffy pretended to bite Usopp, and they both fell over laughing again. “Sanji, that was definitely you!”

“Don’t pretend like you had nothing to do with it! And Usopp was the one with the theatrics!”

“Hey, you’re pretty showy, too!” Usopp protested, sitting up again. “Back to what I was saying— _three_ name parts, and mine is last again?”

“‘Uso’ and ‘-sopp’ both sound a little weird after San or Lu and before another thing,” Luffy pointed out. “And, um . . . Usoffyji . . . Usoluji . . . Usoffysan . . . Usolusan . . . that last one’s not bad, but Sanlusopp sounds the best.”

“-sopp sounds good at the end of a lot of names,” Sanji said, checking their course on the river. “Think about it. People will hear the fusion’s name, and they’ll say, ‘That’s Usopp! The long nose, and the -sopp at the end of the name proves it! How cool he is!’”

“You’re right!” Usopp said, brightening. “But why’d you mention the nose first?”

“No reason. Any other grievances you have?”

“Yeah. It’s kinda complicated, fusing with you.”

“How so?”

“You kick,” Usopp said. “Your fighting style is cool and all, and it looks great. But I use my hands. I work with explosives and stuff, and my hands can get burned if I mess up. You can’t have that, so how is Sanuso supposed to fight?”

“Dunno,” Sanji admitted. “I don’t mind throwing things once in awhile, if that helps. I’m sure Sanuso could at least help us run away from something, or jump higher.”

“It’d be a problem if you fused with Nami or Zoro, too,” Usopp added. “Chopper might be fine if you don’t mind headbutting things or working with medicine, but Nami uses the Clima Tact and Zoro fights with blades.”

“First off, I’m not fusing with Zoro, so jot that down,” Sanji said. Ignoring Luffy’s whine of disappointment, he continued, “I wouldn’t mind fusing with my Nami- _san_ at all if Sanami didn’t have to directly hit anyone with the weapon.”

“You’ve already named your fusion?!”

“If we’re talking fighting styles,” Sanji said, turning and sitting so he faced Usopp and Luffy, “why are you okay fusing with Luffy, if you prefer to fight with a slingshot?”

“Well, ’cause Luffy doesn’t mind using the weapon,” Usopp explained.

“Yeah, and Usopp’s okay with punching as long as we’re fused,” Luffy piped up.

“I just don’t like to get _that_ close to an enemy by myself,” Usopp concluded.

“Makes sense. How about the swordsman?” Sanji shifted. “You never complained about using blades.”

“I mean . . . Zoro helped me know how to use them,” Usopp explained. “But that part’s really mostly him. I’m only helping a little with aiming. And it’s the other way around with the boomerang thing.”

“Just like with us,” Luffy said brightly. “You’re super good at aiming!”

Usopp grinned. “Yeah, I am, aren’t I?”

The boat cruised lazily down the river.

* * *

“You _fused?!”_ Chopper shrieked.

“All three of you?” Nami said in amazement.

“I didn’t think you’d all be able to get coordinated,” Zoro said honestly.

“It was _amazing!”_ Usopp exclaimed, throwing his arms out and smacking Sanji in the face. Sanji took Usopp’s stew bowl and set it aside before kicking his shin. Usopp rubbed his leg as he continued, “We became Sanusoffy!”

“Don’t get the name confused!” Luffy protested. “It was Sanlusopp!”

“Usopp, if you ignore the L in the Lu, your entire name’s in there,” Sanji added. “We talked about this.”

“Regardless, he was extremely cool and defeated that dumpling man with ease,” Usopp said proudly.

“Show us, _show us!”_ Chopper insisted.

Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji looked at each other and set aside their bowls. It took longer without the need to battle, but they eventually fused, and Sanlusopp sat cross-legged with his enormous frame.

“Incredible,” Gan Fall whispered from where he lay, staring in awe.

Chopper collapsed in excitement. Zoro helped him up, staring with impressed eyes despite himself, and Nami’s mouth couldn’t be rounder. Robin actually took a step back, shocked as she was.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Sanlusopp said proudly. “Top that, Zoro!”

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Zoro shot back with a grin. “Nice eyebrows.”

“Thank you, Sanji grew them himself.”

Sanlusopp looked around at a disturbance and saw Nami and Robin examining him up close. With a silly grin, he unfused, leaving Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji falling hard to the forest floor. Sanji picked himself up and hurried to Nami and Robin, begging them to fuse with him, and Luffy and Usopp sat up, staring at him with scowls.

“That was the other thing I forgot to bring up!” Usopp snapped. “You unfuse whenever there’s a beauty nearby!”

“What do you expect?” Sanji snapped. “Ladies need my full undivided attention!”

“We _really_ don’t,” Nami said, stepping away. Robin moved back while Sanji was distracted. A short squabble later and everyone was sitting again.

“So _cool_ ,” Chopper whispered from Zoro’s arms. He wiggled in happiness. “So cool! I wanna do that! Luffy, can you and me and Usopp do it?”

“Hey, yeah!” Usopp said, perking up again. “Though, Luffy, have you and Chopper fused? You should do that before all three of us do it.”

“Nami, you were gonna say something before we brought up fusion again,” Luffy said, turning to her. “What’s up?”

“Uh . . . right,” Nami said, looking at Chopper awkwardly as he wilted. The others stared at Luffy suspiciously as she continued, “We’ve made an amazing discovery, actually!”

* * *

“Zoro! Zoro, let’s fuse,” Luffy exclaimed, bouncing alongside him as they walked with Robin and Chopper.

Zoro shook his head. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh.”

“If something comes up, we can,” Zoro added. “Like a fight.”

“Okay,” Luffy said, grinning. “Are we headed the right way?”

“Yes,” Robin said, barely glancing back. “The map said to go south, and we’ve been headed in a straight line since we left the altar.”

“Luffy, do you wanna fuse with me in the meantime?” Chopper asked hopefully, trotting up alongside him.

“Uh . . . well, there’s not a lot of time,” Luffy said, staring straight ahead and tapping his stick on his leg. “There’s a lot of stuff happening on this island, right? God and his followers are after us! We can’t stop to fuse now.”

“What?” Chopper said, hurt. “But . . . you just asked Zoro to—”

A huge explosion shook the island, and something enormous and blue crashed into the middle of the group.

* * *

Nami stared at Hotori and Kotori, and she turned to Gan Fall. “Hey, weird knight, do you want to—”

He turned to her expectantly, and she eyed him up and down.

“Actually, never mind, I don’t want to,” she muttered, turning back to their enemies. He frowned, confused.

* * *

“As long as we’re here,” Zoro said, glancing to Robin, “I can guess your answer, but do you want to fuse?”

She side-eyed him in mild surprise. “No,” she said, turning back to Enel. “Even if we managed . . . I have a feeling it won’t help in this situation.”

A bead of sweat rolled down her neck.

* * *

“Geez, why didn’t Nami fuse with me?” Luffy complained, staring after where she, Gan Fall, and Pierre had disappeared.

“Fuse?” Aisa repeated.

“It’s a thing where we combine our bodies and minds,” Luffy said absently. He looked down at her, grinning. “Hey, do you wanna try it?”

“ _No!”_ she shrieked. “I don’t want anything to do with weird Blue Sea techniques!”

“Well, suit yourself. But a weird Blue Sea technique is how we’re gonna get outta here.” Luffy swung his arm around and around. “Get ready!”

* * *

“Luffy, we should—”

“No!” Luffy tossed his hat at Nami, and she caught it in surprise. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on this. Stay safe!”

He threw himself at Enel.

* * *

Sanuso, a bit charred, a bit battered, but still strong, swung through the trees on Usopp’s rope belt, rappelling off of trees with powerful legs.

“She’s up there,” he muttered, staring up at the looming ark in the sky. “Hang in there, Nami.”

He hooked his legs around the rope one last time and shimmied up it, landing safely on the platform at the top. Once up there, he let the rope fly back into the belt, froze, and unfused.

“Warn me!” Usopp shrieked, sitting up. “We’re a thousand meters up! What if one of us had fallen?”

Sanji pressed a finger to Usopp’s mouth. “Shut it, that guy might hear,” he hissed. “Listen, you go find Nami- _san_.”

“What? Me?” Usopp said around Sanji’s finger. “Are you sure? Why?”

“I have something to do. Trust me.”

* * *

“Oh . . . it’s just you.”

“ _Thank_ you!” Usopp exclaimed indignantly, straightening up and wiping the blood from his nose. Enel stared at them, an expression of faint boredom on his pale face. “After we came all this way to save you?!” He spotted the straw hat Nami clutched and his frown vanished. “Why do you have that? What happened to Luffy?”

“He fell,” Nami said, pointing. “This G— _guy_ knocked him overboard. He’s rubber, so I’m sure he’s fine, but he’ll have a tough time getting back up. Now who’s we? Where’s Sanji- _kun?”_

“Somewhere around, he said he had something to do,” Usopp said with a shrug. “How’ve you been d—?”

They screamed and rolled out of the way of a thunderbolt.

“Geez, some warning would be nice!” Nami shrieked, sitting up.

“Hey, Nami, let’s fuse,” Usopp said, crawling towards her and standing. He helped her up. “It might help us withstand attacks, right?”

“I guess,” Nami said slowly.

Usopp turned to Enel and grinned. “Hey, Mister God Man! We have something amazing to show you! Sit tight and watch the magnificent technique of—”

They screamed and rolled out of the way again as another lightning strike fell from the heavens.

“Did you think that sort of tactic would work?” Nami cried.

“It worked for me and Chopper!” Usopp complained. “Some people just have no respect for—”

Enel raised his hand, but a blonde blur blocked the bolt’s path this time.

* * *

“Luffy, for the last time, I’m _not_ fusing with you when you have that _thing_ on your arm!” Nami glanced back at him, annoyed. “Honestly, you just want to drive the Waver!”

“I do _not!”_ Luffy whined. “I just really like fusing, and you and me haven’t done it in ages!”

“We’ll talk after you get that abomination off your arm!”

* * *

The Going Merry floated gently through the air, held up by the Octopus Balloon. Chopper stared at Luffy, sitting on the figurehead and bouncing in excitement. He slouched and shuffled to where Usopp was birdwatching next to Sanji flirting with Nami.

“Guys?” he said, timid.

“What’s up?” Nami asked, taking the opportunity to interrupt Sanji insisting on how romantic the atmosphere was.

“Do you think Luffy doesn’t like me?” Chopper whispered.

They stared at him.

“Why wouldn’t he like you?” Usopp asked. “He likes everyone. You’re on this crew, aren’t you?”

“Why do you think that?” Sanji asked. The three of them sat down.

“Because—I don’t think he wants to fuse with me.”

They leaned over and stared at Luffy.

“That _is_ weird,” Nami said at last. “He wants to fuse with _everyone_.”

“But not me,” Chopper said tearfully. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Even if you did, Luffy’s not the type to hold grudges,” Usopp said, folding his arms.

“He’s never asked Robin to fuse, either, I think,” Nami said, hoping it helped. “She _is_ the newest member, but . . . ?”

They paused their conversation when Zoro walked over, but he said nothing, only sitting nearby and listening in. After a moment they turned back to each other.

“Chopper, you didn’t like humans for a long time, right?” Nami said. “With exceptions, you were scared of everyone you met. It wasn’t because those people hurt you, it was because you had bad experiences with humans in the past, right?”

“You think Luffy had a bad experience with reindeer?” Chopper said, alarmed.

“Well—maybe not exactly that,” Nami said. “What I mean is, I don’t think it’s your fault he’s not fusing with you. I’m sure he has a good reason, but it’s not you personally.”

“And he’s how he always is with you anyway, right?” Usopp added. “Luffy wears his heart on his sleeve. If you’d done something wrong, he’d show it.”

“Oh, really?” Chopper said, brightening.

“If you really want to know the reason, you can ask him yourself,” Sanji said. He glanced at the figurehead again, where Robin had approached to watch from the bow. Luffy glanced at her before looking back to the sea. “If he doesn’t give you a straight answer, tell me and I’ll kick him until he does.”

“Okay,” Chopper said. “No, wait, don’t hurt him!”

“I’ll only hurt him a little.”

“Oh. Okay.” Chopper stood. “Got it! Thanks! I’ll ask him n—”

The balloon began to shrink.


	4. Tangled Webs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been way too long! Sorry for the delay. School's been really busy and I lost track of how long it'd been since this was updated. Hope this makes up for it!

“Geez, Luffy, you really get us into the weirdest situations,” Usopp grumbled as he, Nami, and Robin prepared their boat for the Donut Race.

“It sounded fun,” Luffy protested. “And a race will be easy, right? You guys just have to be the fastest!”

“It’s not _that_ easy!” Nami snapped. “What if the other guys are faster?”

“They won’t be!”

“You can’t be sure of—”

“Five minutes until the race begins!” Itomimizu shrieked from the sky. Nami glowered and turned back to the boat.

“We’re good,” Usopp said at last. “Right?”

“It won’t sink, at least,” Robin said, pushing it out into the water and watching it bob. She brought it back. “Let’s get ready.”

“Hey, wait,” Usopp said, putting a hand on Nami’s shoulder. “Nami, do you want to . . . ?”

“Do I want to what?” Nami said, turning back. She saw his expression and grinned. “Oh! Yeah, no one said fusing was against the rules, right?”

“Give us a minute, Robin,” Usopp said. She nodded and sat by the boat, crossing her arms. As Luffy and Chopper watched from afar, bouncing up and down, and Sanji did his best to set Usopp’s head on fire with his eyes, Nami and Usopp clasped hands and brought each other in.

“Let me lead,” Nami hissed when Usopp stepped on her foot. They hastily switched sides and Usopp let Nami swing him around several times.

“Where’d you learn to dance?” he demanded.

“I’ve been practicing. Just go with it.”

“I know! We can do this!”

“It appears the Strawhat team has begun a preemptive victory dance!” Itomimizu announced from his perch. “How cocky! Are their odds really so good?”

“Just ignore him,” Usopp whispered, seeing Nami scowl. “We’ll knock their socks off.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, face softening. She pulled him in, smiling, and their bodies glowed with the light of fusion, legs stretching and limbs sprouting.

“Oh?” Itomimizu exclaimed. “Something is happening to the dancing members of the Strawhats!”

“Something happened, alright!”

The fusion stretched their arms, the one on the right having two hands, a second forearm sprouting from the elbow. Freckles dotted below three long-lashed eyes, the third on the forehead, and curly red hair fell to their shoulders.

“And that _something_ is gonna kick your butts!” the fusion finished. “The name’s Usomi, by the way, don’t forget it!”

“Oh, Usopp finally got his wish,” Luffy said, laughing in delight. “Go, Usomi!”

“Wow, they look good together,” Zoro said loudly. “Don’t you think so, cook?”

“They will never find your body,” Sanji hissed.

“An incredible phenomenon!” Itomimizu cried. “The Strawhats Usopp and Nami have turned into a single unusual person! Who knew they had this power?! Regardless, the Donut Race begins—”

“ _Time-out!”_ Foxy and Porche shrieked.

“That _has_ to be against the rules!” Porche cried.

“Yeah, that’s not fair!” Foxy snarled. “That combination is bigger and looks stronger than the other two!”

“Fortunately for the Strawhat team, there is nothing in the rulebook that says combining the bodies of your team members is not allowed!” Itomimizu declared. “Captain, the person you see there cannot be any stronger or smarter than the combined strengths of the original two, correct?”

“That’s what you think,” Usomi said under their breath, folding their arms and tapping their third hand on their tight-fitting black overalls, ending just above the knees and over thigh-high boots. Nami’s tattoo, as always, lay on their left shoulder.

“Well, I—I suppose so,” Foxy said, reluctant.

“Therefore, since this new person is made up of members of the Strawhats, they are allowed to participate in the Donut Race,” Itomimizu finished. “However, in the interest of fairness—Usomi, yes?—Usomi will be counted as Usopp and Nami participating, and not as their own person.”

“Fine by me!” Usomi said. “Can we get this over with?”

“Oh, fine,” Porche said, flipping her hair. “We’ll beat you with or without weird combinations!”

“Alright, alright!” Foxy snapped. “Time-out over.”

Usomi and Robin pushed their boat into the water, climbing in awkwardly.  

“Then, let the race begin!” Itomimizu shouted as soon as the teams were at the start line.

Usomi and Robin directed the boat perfectly, Usomi’s lower two eyes watching the waters below them while the third stared ahead, focused on their path to give orders on where to go. But Foxy’s Devil Fruit trickery forced their loss, and they rowed back to shore with Robin, defeated.

“Nami- _san,”_ Sanji said, trailing behind Usomi. “I mean, Usomi. Look inside yourself and answer me, please. Why won’t Nami- _san_ fuse with me?”

“You look desperate,” Usomi said without turning around.

“You two make a great team,” Luffy said, patting them on the back. “That was awesome! Even though you lost!”

“Speaking of which, does Usomi have to stay together if Foxy picks them?” Zoro said. “With Usopp and Nami never fusing with _anyone else_ again?”

“You have ten seconds to say your prayers,” Sanji snarled.

* * *

“So you two are gonna be a team, huh?” Luffy said, his eyes shining. “That means you gotta fuse!”

“We don’t _gotta_ do anything except win,” Zoro said.

“And we can do that without fusing,” Sanji added, stretching his legs.

* * *

“Just fuse already!” Luffy yelled from the sidelines as Zoro and Sanji struggled to their feet again.

“Sanji- _kun,_ please?” Nami called. She and Usopp had unfused in order for her to encourage Sanji.

“I would love to, Nami- _san,_ but he won’t cooperate!” Sanji cried before getting kicked away again.

“ _I_ won’t cooperate?” Zoro snapped. “You’re the one who—” He held up his arms and was pushed away anyway by the force of the blow from Big Pan.

Nami groaned and leaned against Robin. “If I get taken, will you fight for me?”

“Of course,” Robin said, patting her shoulder. “But there’s only one game left. If you get taken, we’ll have to choose between you and Doctor- _san_ if we win the next one.”

“Chopper’s strong. He can fight his way back.”

“We won’t have to choose between anyone, ’cause they’re gonna win,” Luffy said, stubborn. He raised his voice. “You’re gonna win!”

“Of course!” Zoro and Sanji yelled together before taking another blow from their opponents.

* * *

The sun shone down on Zoro and Sanji as they lay in the Groggy Ring, the arena living up to its name.

“Cook,” Zoro murmured. “Can I ask for your help . . . for ten seconds?”

Sanji closed his eyes. “Only if I can ask for yours.”

They got to their feet, turned to each other, and clasped hands.

“About time,” Nami muttered as they seized each other’s bruised waists and started spinning.

“Who’s leading and who’s following?” Zoro whispered to Sanji.

“You know those words?” Sanji hissed. “I’m leading right now.”

Zoro forced Sanji’s hand down to his waist and moved his own hand to Sanji’s. “That’s better.”

“What the fuck ever, just get on with it!”

“My thoughts exactly!”

They spun faster and faster, and as they pulled themselves in towards each other, a harsh light shone from their bodies.

“A surprising move from the Strawhats!” Itomimizu exclaimed as a tall, broad-shouldered man spun in place on the field. He slowed to a stop and released his own torso, stretching out his two arms. “Participants Zoro and Sanji have combined to form a new person! Surely they must realize being a single person on the team means being the only ball man?! This does not bode well for the Strawhats!”

“Shut up!” the man yelled, glaring up at Itomimizu with three stern eyes, the one on the left covered by shaggy green hair, the one on the right below a dramatically swirled eyebrow.

“If you’re done . . .” Hamburg laughed. “Then we’re going to win now!”

“Go, Zosan!” Luffy yelled.

“Go, Sanzo!” Usopp yelled.

“Just give me ten seconds!” Zosan said. He took off running for the Foxy team, leapt into the air, and kicked Hamburg into Big Pan with a powerful swing of his legs. While Hamburg collapsed and Big Pan swayed from the impact, Sanzo did the same thing to Pickles, and this blow ended the game, sending Big Pan toppling into the ring.

“That’s . . . that’s game!” Itomimizu cried as Zosan landed on the ground and stood, straightening the tie hanging from his collared white T-shirt. He turned around and headed back to the Strawhats. “The Strawhats are victorious!”

“Zosan, that was amazing!” Luffy exclaimed, jumping up and down and staring at Sanzo’s face. “I bet you could do really cool things with a sword!”

“Of course I would,” Zosan said, lips moving in some resemblance of a smile. “Let’s hurry up and get Chopper back.”

“Glad you got over yourself,” Nami said, patting Sanzo on the back.

“That was excellent teamwork,” Robin said with a smile.

Zosan stared at them, trembling, and unfused. Zoro fell to the ground while Sanji yanked the ball hat off his head and floated up to Nami and Robin.

“Do you love me now?” he exclaimed, clasping his hands while Luffy called Chopper over. They hugged, and Usopp tackled them, sending all three to the ground. “Nami- _san?_ Robin- _chan?_ Wasn’t I amazing?”

“Zosan was,” Nami said, turning away.

“It’s Sanzo, Nami- _san,_ I don’t want to be rude—”

Luffy stood and removed himself from the pile, helping Zoro stand. “See?” he said with a grin, poking him. “It was fun, wasn’t it? Being Sanzo?”

“Shut up,” Zoro muttered, batting his hand away. “And it’s Zosan.”

* * *

“Go on,” Nami said, giving Chopper a little push. “Now’s your chance.”

Chopper shuffled his way over to Luffy, who was playing Bother-Zoro-Without-Waking-Him-Up with Usopp while Sanji watched.

“Luffy?” he said, tugging on Luffy’s pants. Luffy looked over, motioning for Usopp to take over. “Now that I’m back on the crew, do you wanna fuse? We’ve never done it before, and I really wanna try.”

“Um . . . whatcha mean?” Luffy said, watching Usopp wave his hands over Zoro barely an inch from touching him. Usopp stopped to listen in and Luffy frowned, turning away to stare at a spot on the deck instead. “You’ve fused before. With Usopp. Right?”

“Yeah! But I wanna fuse with you now,” Chopper said, bouncing in place. “Please?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” Usopp said. “If you guys get a little practice, me and you two can all try fusing into one, right?”

“Speaking of practice, let’s try to form Zosopp soon,” Zoro said.

Usopp jumped. “You were awake!”

“I tried telling you,” Sanji said. Robin left the kitchen and came to stand next to him, watching the conversation.

“Luffy?” Chopper repeated. “Do you wanna fuse with me?”

“Yes,” Luffy said.

Chopper grinned. “Great! Then—”

“But, no!”

“No?”

“No,” Luffy repeated. He bit his lip and folded his arms, swaying in place. “Yeah, I changed my mind. I don’t wanna fuse with you.”

Chopper’s lip quivered. “Oh. Um—but—”

“Luffy, you’re such a bad liar,” Nami burst out, storming down from the bow and kneeling to comfort Chopper. “If you don’t want to fuse with Chopper—if there’s some reason, tell him! He thought you didn’t like him because you wouldn’t—”

“What? Of course I like you,” Luffy said, unfolding his arms and kneeling next to Chopper. “You thought I didn’t like you because we weren’t fusing?”

Chopper nodded, looking away as he started to cry.

“Geez,” Luffy exclaimed with a guilty face. “I didn’t know.”

“So tell him why you won’t fuse with him, asshole,” Sanji said. “Don't dodge the damn question.”

“I—It’s just that—” Luffy grabbed his hat, twisting it on his head. “Ace said—”

“Ace?” Usopp said.

“What about Ace?” Nami said. “Did he tell you not to fuse with Chopper?”

“No! He said, he said—”

“Don’t let him tell you what to do,” Usopp said, rolling his eyes. “He’s your big brother, but you’re your own man! You can do what you want! You’re a pirate!”

Luffy stared at Usopp and then looked back at Chopper. “Yeah,” he said, a light coming to his eyes. “Yeah. What if he was wrong? Maybe he was wrong! I’ll show him!” He stood and held out his hand. “Chopper, let’s fuse! Now!”

“Really?” Chopper said, looking up and blinking away tears.

“Yeah! Let’s do it!”

Nami stood and moved away to give them room. Luffy seized Chopper’s hands and spun him around, allowing Chopper to move his body as he pleased. Sanji smiled and hummed a song for them while he tried to hold Robin’s hand, which she moved away every time he came close. Usopp cheered and clapped to the beat, and Nami shook her head at Luffy’s aggressive positivity.

Finally, an ugly light shone from Luffy and Chopper. Luffy held Chopper close, and their bodies melded together. A straw hat hung around the new person’s neck, his head covered in fluffy black hair and adorned with antlers, and he was no taller and perhaps even smaller than Luffy, his hindquarters furry like a satyr.

“It worked,” he said. “Yes! It worked!”

“Way to go!” Sanji exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. “Now—”

But there wasn’t even enough time for the fusion to name himself, or enough time for anyone to count the number of limbs and eyes he had, before he doubled over, coughing. Blood splattered the deck from his mouth and a gash appeared in his shoulder. He fell to the deck and Luffy and Chopper were thrown out of the fusion, both curled in on themselves.

“What?” Nami whispered. Zoro got up and went to Luffy, turning him over and checking the wound in his shoulder, while Sanji hopped over the railing and did the same for Chopper with Usopp, feeling his torso for injuries. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry,” Luffy said hoarsely. He coughed again. “Damn it. I’m sorry, Chopper.”

“Bring them to the kitchen,” Robin said, coming around the deck and down the stairs. “We should get them on the couch.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the crew responded. Sanji scooped up Chopper and Zoro dragged Luffy across the deck.

* * *

In the end, Chopper suffered only the wound on his shoulder and a bruised stomach, while Luffy had his own shoulder wound and an elbow refusing to return to its proper position.

“What happened?” Nami demanded, sitting at the table. Chopper and Luffy were curled up on the couch, having recovered from the sudden agony. “Were you two that incompatible? I mean—what could’ve caused that kind of rejection?”

“I don’t know,” Chopper murmured, drinking a cup of water. “Everything was great, and then, out of nowhere . . .”

“Is this what you meant?” Zoro said, turning to Luffy.

Luffy nodded. “I didn’t know,” he said in a small voice. “Ace didn’t say . . .”

“What _did_ he say?” Robin cut in.

“He told me two Devil Fruit users can’t fuse.” Luffy drew his knees up to his chin. “He said he tried to fuse with one of his crewmates who had eaten one. He just said it ended badly. Just now, I was thinking maybe that was a one-time thing, and it would be okay. It wasn’t.”

“Normal people—” Sanji looked at Luffy and Chopper. “Let me rephrase that. As far as it’s known, it’s impossible for someone to eat two Devil Fruits and survive. It’s said the Fruits reject each other and tear the body apart.”

“Is that what happened?” Usopp asked, his hands flying up to his face. “Your—the fusion’s body was rejecting itself? Because of the two Fruits?”

“I guess so.” Luffy frowned, folding his arms and wincing. “Dang it. Me n’ Chopper can’t ever fuse, huh?”

“I’m sorry I kept asking,” Chopper said, starting to cry. “If it wasn’t for me—”

“Don’t be stupid,” Zoro interrupted. Chopper stared at him, frozen, and nodded, holding back his tears and biting his lip.

“At least we know now,” Sanji said. He glared at Luffy. “Will you _tell_ us these things _before_ everything goes to shit for once?”

“I’m very sorry,” Luffy said.

“Then act like it, you—”

“Luffy, I need to fix your arm,” Chopper said, snapping into doctor mode. He turned big and picked up Luffy, dragging him to the medicine cabinet downstairs amidst Luffy’s wriggling and whining.

Sanji stared after them, rubbing his chin. Luffy and Chopper not being able to fuse with other Fruit users included Robin. This meant Robin was capable of fusing with four members of their crew, including himself, instead of six. Which meant . . .

“ _I have a better chance!”_ he yelled, pumping his fist in the air and planting a foot on the couch. “Take that, moss ball!”

“What’s that?” Usopp said as he left after the others, leaving Sanji alone in the kitchen.

* * *

Luffy squatted, stretching his legs and staring up at the Franky House. “Anyone wanna fuse with me?” he asked. “Zoro? Sanji?”

“I’ll take it,” Sanji volunteered.

“Okay! You wanna do foreplay first?”

Sanji swallowed his cigarette and spit it back up, falling to his knees as Zoro and Chopper stared. “I fucking told you, I misunderstood you the first time!” he yelled, getting back up and kicking Luffy’s shin over and over. “I thought we were doing something else!”

“But you called it foreplay right after that,” Luffy said, wincing. “Ow, ow, stop that!”

“Dancing! Isn’t! Foreplay! Get it through your head before I drive it through with my foot!”

“What’s foreplay, then?” Chopper asked.

Zoro frowned. “I think it’s—”

“Shut your _fuck!”_

“Okay, okay,” Luffy said. “Do you wanna dance or no?”

Sanji grabbed Luffy’s hand and spun him around. Zoro turned to Chopper. “Hey, what do you say?”

“What?” Chopper said, tearing his eyes away from Luffy and Sanji.

“You wanna fuse with me?”

Chopper’s eyes shone and he bounced up and down. “Yes! Yes!”

Zoro held out his hand. “Let’s do it.”

Soon enough, Sanji finally cooled his temper enough to fuse with Luffy, and Sanlu was back. He stretched his legs and arms and turned just in time for Zoro and Chopper to disappear in a shining light.

“Whoa,” he murmured. A man about as tall as Zoro stood, looking over his hooved, furry limbs, just like Chosopp’s. His pants had disappeared (not a problem, thanks to the fur hindquarters), leaving a slim white T-shirt, bandana, and _haramaki._ His hair (Chopper’s hat hung on a string on the back of his neck) was fluffy and streaked brown and green like a forest, and when he turned to Sanlu, his face showed a blue nose and three round, serious eyes.

“Let’s go,” he said. He drew his two long swords with two arms for each one, and he and Sanlu marched to the Franky House.

* * *

“Zambai!” Tamagon yelled, backing away from the window. “What do the Strawhats look like again?”

“Huh?” Zambai said, lounging on the chair Franky usually occupied. “The captain’s got a hat, there was Roronoa with the green hair on the ship, the long-nose we beat up . . . why?”

“Strawhat and Roronoa were out there!”

“So?”

“So, Strawhat combined his body with a blonde guy, and Roronoa combined his body with a raccoon dog!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Zambai demanded, scratching himself as the others laughed. “You had too much to drink!”

“I didn’t! I didn’t! They’re coming this way!”

“Sure, sure, they’re—”

The door flew off its hinges, knocking down several of the Franky Family in the process, revealing two tall figures standing in the dust.

“You’re the Franky Family, yeah?” Sanlu said, gesturing.

“Yeah, what of it?” Zambai said, sitting up and resting his chin on his hand. “And who’re you two with the death wishes?”

“We’re the ones who’re gonna make you pay for beating up our friend!” Sanlu exclaimed, popping the lollipop out of his mouth and pointing. “Right?” he added.

“Right,” his companion said, resting his two swords over his shoulders, careful not to catch them on his antlers.

“I told you!” Tamagon cried, sitting up. “Strawhat and Roronoa combined themselves with two others!”

“You were dreaming!” Zambai snapped, though a bead of sweat rolled down his face. “You two! What’re you called?”

“Sanlu!”

“Chozo.”

“Enough talk. Let’s fight!” they said together, and charged.

* * *

Thanks to Sanlu’s powerful legs and Chozo’s precise cuts, the Franky Family and House were soon left in shambles. As they walked away, they unfused. Luffy and Sanji shoved each other, grinning, and Chopper put a bounce in his step.

Zambai stared in horror, upside-down in the rubble.

“He was right,” he whispered, and then he fainted.

* * *

“No,” Usopp said, sitting up and glaring at Luffy with a cold stare they’d never seen on him before. “I get it. I see how it is. You don’t want friends who are useless, right?”

“Usopp,” Luffy said. He grit his teeth. “I _told_ you—”

“If you leave the Merry, you leave me!” Usopp stood, pointing at Luffy. “I know I’m a burden here, just like Merry is to you!”

“Usopp!” Nami exclaimed. “No one said that!”

“I know it’s true! You were all only fusing with me because you felt sorry that I’d never get to your superhuman level! The whole time, you were making fun of me! Well, the pity ends here!” Usopp retied his bandana and balled his hands into fists. “Luffy, I challenge you!”

* * *

Luna landed in a tumble on a rooftop, checking behind themselves as they stopped.

“Alright, no one’s chasing,” they said. “I should be fine for awhile as long as I’m like this. Then again . . .” They took off their straw hat and studied it. “This might attract attention. But I can’t get rid of it. Oh, well, maybe they won’t notice.”

They put the hat back on and made their way to the streets, where they spotted a familiar head of green hair.

* * *

Zoro and Nami pulled Luffy out from the river, all three having fallen in after Sanji and Chopper startled them from above.

“Watch yourself,” he snapped. “Nami, couldn’t you keep him under control?”

“I was startled, too,” she said, looking away. She smacked Luffy to cover up her embarrassment and stood while he spit up water. “Sanji- _kun?_ Chopper? What happened?”

* * *

After several agonizing minutes of decision (made agonizing only by Luffy’s refusal to cooperate), the Strawhats decided not to fuse during their raid on Galley-La, in order to confront Robin as themselves. Though they were able to do so, Robin slipped away from them yet again regardless, and Luffy and Zoro were sent flying.

“Those two!” Nami exclaimed, staring out over the city. “Chopper, let’s fuse and go find them, okay?”

“Huh?” Chopper exclaimed. “Really?”

“It’s a yes or no question, and we’re running out of time!”

“Yes! Let’s go!”

* * *

Chomi, having taken the form of a centaur thanks to Walking Point, galloped and bounded across the rooftops. Their blue nose, in the middle of a soft, round face framed by short auburn hair and antlers, twitched as they sniffed around, seeking their crewmates’s scents.

“Where?” they whispered, covering their eyes with their left hand, the arm of which held Nami’s tattoo. They skidded to a stop and their three eyes snapped forward, focusing on the small shape directly between two buildings.

“ _LUFFY!”_ they yelled.

“Who’s there?” Luffy yelled back.

“Chomi! Nami and Chopper!”

“What? Really? I wanna see! Oh, but I’m stuck!”

* * *

“I wanna ride you,” Luffy said, examining Chomi all over as soon as he was free.

“Later! Go ahead and meet with everyone else on top of that hill,” Chomi said, pointing. “I’m going to find Zoro.”

“Got it! Wow . . . a deer centaur!” Luffy ran away, and Chomi sniffed around again, searching for Zoro. When they found him, they stared in dumbfounded silence for several seconds.

“Are you an idiot?” they said at last.

“Who’s there?” Zoro said. “Never mind that. Shut up and gimme a sword.”

“I could pull you out!”

“I’m pretty stuck! Just get me a sword!”

“Okay, hold on, hold on!” Chomi changed form. They were now quite a bit taller, standing on two legs. Their antlers had disappeared (the hat, of course, remained) and they now had four humanoid arms, sticking out of Nami’s shirt (Chopper’s shorts covered the bottom), which they used to reach into the chimney and wrestle with Zoro’s swords.

“Is that good?” they said.

“Yeah! Stand back!”

Chomi backed up, and the roof exploded.

“Okay,” Zoro said as soon as he got his balance. “Let’s go.”

Chomi returned to their centaur form and ran with Zoro up to the hill.

* * *

Nami and Chopper pushed themselves up from the ground. The water had washed them ashore, undoing their fusion in the process.

“No more Chomi?” Luffy said, disappointed.

“Luffy, we almost drowned,” Nami hissed, pinching his cheek.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Luffy said, his voice distorted. “By the way, Zoro, where were you?”

* * *

“We’re not gonna die,” Luffy said, silencing the panicked talk in the train car as he stood and cracked his knuckles. “Right, Zoro?”

“Right,” Zoro agreed, standing. “Let’s go. He’ll handle this.”

“‘He?’” Zambai repeated as they walked out. “Who’s he?”

“We don’t have to share _all_ our secrets,” Nami said, watching Luffy and Zoro leave. “If _he_ comes back, then you’ll know.”

* * *

Zolu stood at the front of Rocketman, gazing at the enormous wave before him. He weighed his swords in his top two hands, the third held in the lower left hand. After a moment, he placed the third sword in his mouth and turned his body, all four of his hands stretching backwards far along the length of the train.

“Gum-gum . . .”

His hands shot forward, the ones on top slicing and the ones on the bottom punching.

“. . . _300-pound cannon!”_

* * *

“I gotta ask you something, swirly,” Franky said. Sanji looked up from the transceiver, shielding the snail from the harsh rain on the roof of the car. “You and your friends attacked my men and destroyed my clubhouse.”

“And what of it?” Sanji said.

“Zambai and Tamagon told me a very strange story. They said that there were four of you who combined into two weirdos who wiped them out in no time. Any idea what he’s talking about?”

“Not a clue,” Sanji said, returning to the numpad on the Snail. His finger hesitated over the buttons. “But if I _did_ know what you were talking about, and there _was_ such a technique . . . I don’t think we would ever use it out of pity. Do you?”

“Huh?” Franky said as Usopp stared at Sanji, who was now laser-focused on keeping the Snail from drowning.

* * *

“It’s been almost fifteen minutes,” Nami said, her face drawn with worry as she looked out the window. “You don’t think they fell?”

“D’you think so?!” Chopper cried, turning around to look out his own window as if he could see anything in the storm. “Did they fall off?!”

“Falling down!” Chimney said. She held Gonbe’s hands and they danced in a circle. _“Snowy-white, snowy-white! Throw away your tools! With a bang and a boom, we all fall down!”_

“Chimney,” Kokoro said as Chimney and Gonbe let go and sat down, laughing. “Come now, those young men could be dead.”

She threw back her head and laughed, taking another drink, and Zambai scowled. “You’re not setting a good example, granny!”

The door opened, and everyone turned to see Zolu crawling in, the frame too low for his height.

“You!” Nami exclaimed, standing. Chopper ran to Zolu and hugged him while Kokoro raised an eyebrow and Zambai gestured, mouth open. “Where _were_ you?!”

“Ah, well,” Zolu said, making an arm throne for Chopper, “the way back disappeared on me. Old lady, this is one strange train.”

“You mean you got _lost?”_ Nami said, pinching his ear. “For almost half an hour?”

“But you said fifteen minutes earlier, miss,” Chimney said, sitting up.

“Quiet!” Nami tugged on Zolu’s ear and it stretched out as he winced. “How hard can it be to just _go back the way you came?”_

A light shone and Zolu unfused, leaving Zoro holding Chopper and Nami pinching Luffy’s ear. She let go and grabbed Zoro’s ear instead.

“Hey!” he snapped, batting at her hand. “Why me?”

“It was probably you who got Zolu lost in the first place! Your sense of direction is dangerous!”

“How am I supposed to help it when this train moves its doors around?” Zoro protested.

“Yeah, Nami, this is some kind of magical train,” Luffy added. “It’s not our fault!”

Nami released Zoro and strode back to her seat, collapsing into it and holding her head in her hands as she shook with sobs.

“Can someone—what was—?” Paulie said weakly.

“That was the thing I saw!” Tamagon burst out. “Zambai! I told you! They combined their bodies! Except it was different people last time!”

“Extraordinary,” Lulu said, trying to smooth his hair. “Would anyone care to explain what sort of technique that was?”

“Just a second,” Kokoro said, taking out a ringing Transponder Snail from her pocket. “Hello?”

“ _Hello?”_

“Sanji?” Luffy said. He, Zoro, and Chopper gathered around the Snail, and Nami sat up, wiping away tears and listening intently.

* * *

“They should fuse more often,” Nami remarked as Zoro and Sanji fought before taking down several soldiers. “It would release some tension.”

When she took down many soldiers herself with the improved Clima Tact, ignoring Sogeking yelling at her for being so reckless, Zoro and Sanji popped out of the rubble.

“Nami- _san,”_ Sanji crooned, brushing off charred bits from himself, “your lightning strike so reminds me of what I felt with you when we first fused!”

“We never fused,” Nami said at the same time Zoro said, “You never fused.”

“Ah! Then I only felt those sensations in a dream . . . a dream you can make come true!”

* * *

“ _Zoro!”_ Nami called. “Up the _stairs!_ I said the stairs! How can you get that confused?!”

“It was confusing!” Zoro yelled, running back to them.

“Nami- _san_ was perfectly clear!” Sanji yelled. “You’re the only confusing one!”

“If you really think my sense of direction is _so_ bad, why don’t you fuse with me and _you_ lead the way?!” Zoro snapped.

“Because it might be contagious!" Nami yelled. "Now follow us and _don’t lose sight!”_

“Or else we’ll get you a leash,” Sanji added.

* * *

“Chopper, I have an idea,” Nami whispered as they faced the intimidating Kumadori in the hallway. “Oh, my, Luffy! There you are!”

“Hah?” Kumadori said, turning around. When he turned back, he found himself looking at Chomi in their satyr-like form, fur and hair amber and a third eye in their forehead.

“Wow,” Chomi said, staring at their hands. “It’s a part of me!”

“Excuse . . . me?” Kumadori said. “ _Who_ are you?”

Chomi raised their hands and aimed them at Kumadori. Heat balls shot from their fingertips, coalescing in his face and making him cover his eyes, scratching.

“ _Gyah!_ It’s so . . . _hot!”_ he cried. Chomi grinned and lowered their hands, doing a quick lap around Kumadori, transforming into their centaur form, and running away, the key clutched in their hand. They only stopped when they heard a crashing sound, and the ceiling came down, along with a weird version of Sanji.

“Sanji?” Chomi said, kneeling and bending over him. “Is that _you?_ What—what happened?”

Sanji explained in a breathless voice, and Chomi unfused so Nami could go after Kalifa while Chopper took care of Kumadori.

* * *

“Do you think fusing would get rid of these?” Zoro said, lifting his handcuffed wrist and Sogeking simultaneously. “We might have two hands free, at least.”

“Fusing? Ah . . . I’m afraid I’ve never heard of such a thing, Zoro- _kun,”_ Sogeking said.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to. Just an idea.”

Sogeking was silent until his next scream, when Zoro yanked him away from another combination blow from Kaku and Jyabura.

* * *

“Ah . . . Sanji- _kun,”_ Sogeking whispered from the floor. “Sorry, I couldn’t deal with the werewolf . . .”

“Who the fuck cares?”

“Huh?”

Sanji turned and gave him a hard stare accompanied by a subtle eye-roll. “You’re alive. That’s the most important thing. There’s always things we can’t do, even when we’re trying our hardest, right?”

“What?” Sogeking repeated, trying to shake away a concussion.

“You can’t defeat this werewolf, but I can,” Sanji said. “I can’t play a huge part in rescuing Robin- _chan_ right now, but if you hurry, _you can._ So for the fucking love of shit, go do what I can’t do, and I’ll do what you can’t do.”

Sogeking sat up, staring at Sanji. His arms became rubber, his hair dirty-blonde and then green, his nose turned blue, he directed a rowboat expertly, and he understood.

“Sanji- _kun,_ thank you for everything!” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “I’ll help Robin- _kun_ in a jiffy!” He ran down the corridor and paused, turning around. “And please don’t die!”

“That’s my line,” Sanji said under his breath as Sogeking vanished. “Despite what I said . . . is he really gonna be okay?”

* * *

“And, uh . . . Luffy, you little brat.” Garp leaned in with a frown. “You haven’t fused with anyone on your crew, right?”

“Sure I have,” Luffy said without missing a beat. Garp punched him into the ground again and the Strawhats, Coby, and Helmeppo backed away.

“You little gremlin!” Garp yelled as Luffy struggled to get up. Garp ground his foot into Luffy’s back, forcing him to stay down. “I _told_ you, the fewer the number of people who have that ability, the better!”

“And I _told_ you, I don’t get what that means!” Luffy whined into the grass. “And it’s _fun!_ I _like_ combining! So there!”

“ _You_ lot didn’t hear anything!” Garp yelled at the surrounding soldiers. They saluted and ran to find more building materials to fix the wall in order to keep themselves occupied. He turned to Coby and Helmeppo. “And neither did you two!”

“Yes, sir!” Helmeppo cried.

“Garp- _san,_ you said fusing, right?” Coby said, squaring his soldiers. “I already know about it.”

Garp squinted at him. “You’ve done it?”

“No, sir! But Luffy- _san_ and Zoro- _san_ did it to help save me . . . a long time ago.”

Garp glared at Zoro, who took a sudden, intense interest in a small scar on his forearm.

“If it was to help save you, I’ll forgive and forget that,” he said at last. He released Luffy, who bounced to his feet, coughing. “Squirt, it’s bad enough that you have a father who is what he is. It’s just not a good idea to let this fusing thing get out into the world, in either sense.”

“You’re still not explaining,” Luffy said. “And even if you did, I wouldn’t care. It’s none of your business who I wanna smush my body with.”

“Luffy, you and me are going to have a serious talk later about innuendo and euphemisms before this gets out of hand,” Sanji hissed.

“Boy, I won’t pretend I don’t know how you feel,” Garp said. “Me being in the position that I am, it’s hard enough keeping it under wraps, especially considering . . . well, never mind. It’s your own damn funeral if you want to keep this going.”

Luffy stuck out his tongue, and that was that.

* * *

Water 7 was alive with joyous music and dancing for the second day in a row. Robin sat against a wall, having woken up from another recovery nap not long ago, and watched the proceedings with a smile.

“Hey, Robin, do you wanna fuse?”

Robin looked up to see Luffy dangling over the wall. “What do you mean?” she said. “We both have Devil Fruits. Isn’t it impossible?”

“Sure it is,” Luffy said, tumbling over the wall and twisting his body just so in order to not smack Robin on his way down. He turned himself right-side up and tilted his head, grinning. “I was just wondering, if we _could,_ do you wanna?”

She smiled, holding her drink with both hands. “Yes, of course.”

He clapped and laughed. “Alright! Thanks, Robin! I’m gonna go see what Sanji’s making!”

He stood and ran off, leaving Robin smiling after him.

* * *

“ _I’M SORRY!”_

Luffy turned around and leaned over the railing, listening again while the others kept the cannonballs at bay.

“ _I’M SORRY I SAID I WAS A BURDEN! I’M SORRY I SAID THE FUSING WAS FROM PITY! I TAKE IT ALL BACK! PLEASE LET ME JOIN THE CREW AGAIN! I . . . !”_

Usopp caught Luffy’s hand just in time and was pulled back into the ship by a slingshot force. When their bodies slammed together, a burst of light appeared and vanished, revealing Lusopp hugging himself and laughing and sobbing as he somersaulted to a stop on the deck.

* * *

“Ah, well!” Garp exclaimed with a booming laugh. “That’s life, isn’t it? They’re long gone by now! Just send the report, and make it sound good!”

“Sir?” Coby whispered as the poor soldier saluted and hurried off. “May I ask you something?”

“Ask away, my boy!”

“When you were talking with Luffy- _san,_ back on Water 7, about fusion,” Coby said. Garp hurried away from the other soldiers, making Coby follow. “It sounded like you can do it, too. Is that true?”

“Yeah . . . well,” Garp said. “These things seem to run in a family.”

“Can I—May I ask, why is it a secret? It seems like an awfully powerful technique, one that could help our cause if—!”

“You’re young,” Garp said, silencing him. “You’re naive. There’re at least two very good reasons I don’t want this fusion thing getting out, and when you learn a bit more about the world, maybe I’ll tell you. But in the meantime, zip your lips. Got it?”

“Got it. Yes, sir.”

* * *

 

“Now that we’re safe,” Franky said, turning to Lusopp, “will _someone_ tell me why you all can combine your bodies?! What _is_ this super technique?!”

“Fusion!” Lusopp exclaimed, throwing out his long arms. “It’s this!”

“But—”

“Luffy’s the one who showed everyone the technique,” Nami said. “If he knows any details beyond that it combines two or more bodies together, he’s not telling us.”

“No, that’s all he knows,” Lusopp said.

Franky squinted. “‘He?’ But aren’t you—?”

“A fusion’s more than the sum of their parts,” Sanji said. “For example, when Nami- _san_ and I are fused together, I can—”

“You really are delusional,” Zoro said. “When Luffy and me fuse, I feel him around and inside me, and with a bit of time, our personalities mesh.”

“One person in a fusion can take more control than the other if they want, but it’s usually split evenly,” Nami finished.

“There you go,” Lusopp said. “It’s very mysterious, isn’t it?”

“But they just explained it,” Chopper said, jumping onto Lusopp’s shoulder. He grinned and rolled Chopper down his arm like a ball until he caught him, holding him up while Chopper laughed.

“That’s so _super!”_ Franky yelled. “Hey, can I try it out? Anyone?”

The Strawhats looked away.

“Guys?” he said. “Don’t leave me hanging . . .”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Robin?” Nami said as Robin stepped forward.

“Go, Robin!” Lusopp cheered.

“Robin- _chan,_ I don’t think he’s your type,” Sanji said, waving his arms. “I think your type is someone shorter, blonde, a great chef—”

“You’re only two of those things,” Zoro said, provoking a squabble while Franky took Robin’s hands and stared at her.

“How does this work?” he asked.

“We dance,” she said. “And then we fuse. Right?” she added to the others, who nodded.

“Then let’s get to it!” Franky said, and lifted her arm, spinning her in a circle.

* * *

“So . . .” Nami looked at the sun. “It’s been about thirty minutes. Are you two done yet?”

Franky and Robin finally stopped dancing and sat down with the others. “Did we do it wrong?” Franky asked, his head in his hands. “I didn’t feel anything different.”

Lusopp woke up with a start, blinking. “Oh, geez, did you guys fuse and I missed it?”

“No,” Zoro said.

“Why not? Your dancing was good! Before I fell asleep . . .”

“We’d like to ask you that,” Robin said. “Or Luffy.”

“Sure.” Lusopp unfused into a still-hugging Luffy and Usopp, Chopper lying on their laps. They released each other and Usopp took Chopper while Luffy cracked too many joints, stuck his shirt in his mouth, and chewed it as he said, “What’s up?”

“We couldn’t fuse,” Robin said. “I don’t think we did anything different from what everyone else did to fuse with each other.”

“Oh. If you didn’t do anything different, then I dunno what the problem is.”

“You never took time to think about the nuances?” Franky asked as Luffy spat out his shirt, licking his lips. “I guess you’re not that kinda guy, huh?”

“Nope! I dunno what those are.”

“Me and Luffy never had any problems fusing,” Zoro said.

“Same here,” Sanji said. Nami and Usopp nodded.

Robin put a finger on her chin, looking among everyone. “Who was the first person any of you fused with?”

“Luffy,” Zoro, Nami, and Sanji said together.

“Zoro,” Usopp said.

“Usopp,” Chopper said.

Robin thought about this and turned to Luffy. “And who did you . . . ?”

“Ace,” Luffy said. “And that was his first time, too!”

“I see,” Robin said, and it was indeed like a lightbulb went on behind her eyes. “Franky, would you mind postponing our fusion? I think I should fuse with someone else first.”

“Really?” Franky said, slouching. “Okay. Sure.”

“Right now?” Luffy said, bouncing where he sat.

“If anyone’s up for it, yes.”

“I’d like to,” Nami offered. Everyone ignored Sanji’s hand desperately waving in the air as she stood with Robin. “Just for a minute. I need a nap.”

“Of course.”

Franky leaned against the railing, folding his arms and watching as Robin took Nami’s hand and they began to waltz. Luffy grinned, patting the deck, and Usopp held Chopper to him as Zoro fell asleep and Sanji twirled his hair in his fingers.

“This would be better with music,” Franky said at last.

“They’re not putting on a show for _you!”_ Sanji snapped.

“It’s not a show for _you,_ either,” Usopp pointed out.

“I know!” Franky said. “I was just thinking, isn’t dancing always easier with music?”

“I keep _telling_ everyone we need a musician,” Luffy informed him. “No one _listens.”_

“We do listen,” Sanji said. “ _You’re_ the one who won’t listen when we tell you it’s not our top priority.”

“Is _so!_ Pirates dance and sing, and a musician would be perfect for helping us dance to fuse! Franky says so, too!”

“Don’t use me in this!” Franky exclaimed, holding up his hands. “I just got here!”

“Ah!” Chopper exclaimed, pointing and wiggling in Usopp’s arms. Everyone looked at Nami and Robin, or rather, where Nami and Robin had just been. In their place stood a giant woman with four arms and four eyes. She slowed to a stop, her long hair, a rich, dark brown, fluttering around her.

“Oh, my goodness,” her melodic voice said, holding herself with all of her arms. She smiled and knelt to be with the others. “Hello, everyone.”

“Super,” Franky murmured, lifting his sunglasses and leaning forward.

“ _So cool!”_ Luffy exclaimed, reaching out a hand to the side to catch Sanji as he fainted. “You look _so cool!”_

Zoro awoke with a start at Chopper’s and Usopp’s delayed, delighted shrieks. “Oh, hello,” he said, sitting up. “What’s your name?”

“Isn’t it more polite to give your own name first?” the woman said. “Just kidding. I think it’s Romi.”

“Romi!” Usopp said. “It’s great to meet you!”

“Great to meet you!” Chopper echoed.

“Romi!” Sanji said, waking up in record time. He arranged himself so he knelt upon one knee and clasped one of Romi’s hands. “My lady, my beautiful lady! Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?”

Romi’s hair moved on its own and removed Sanji’s hand from hers. “Nothing right now, but I’m afraid you don’t have one less mouth to feed with me around.”

“That’s no trouble at all!” Sanji cried, smiling.

“What do you mean?” Franky asked.

Romi shuffled and turned around. Her hair rose from her scalp, and her skull parted, revealing a mouth whose teeth gnashed around a long tongue. Usopp and Chopper screamed, Franky jumped, Zoro raised his eyebrows, and Luffy laughed, trying to poke at the mouth.

“Don’t be rude!” Sanji hissed, slapping his hand away. “What a beautiful . . . mouth, Romi! If needed, I’ll be sure to feed both your mouths!”

“Much appreciated,” Romi said, lowering her hair and turning back around. A hand sprouted from Sanji’s chest and fixed a rumpled part of his suit, vanishing before he could hold this one, too. “If you’ll excuse me?”

She unfused, and Nami and Robin now sat on the deck.

“I’ll go take that nap now,” Nami announced, standing and rubbing the back of her head. “Geez, who knew that could happen? That was fun, Robin, but _geez_. . .”

“Thank you, too,” Robin said, waving farewell with a bright smile.

“Never do that again!” Usopp cried.

“What, fuse with her?”

“Just don’t show the mouth,” Chopper whimpered.

“I can’t promise anything.” Robin now stood, too. “I’m going to do some light reading. Thank you for being patient, everyone.”

“It was worth it!” Luffy called after her as she vanished. “Wow . . . two mouths! Wish I had a second mouth!”

“You’re already worth ten mouths,” Zoro said, poking his shoulder.

“This fusing thing is so super!” Franky exclaimed. “Hey, for real, does anyone want to fuse with me right now? I bet I’ve got the hang of it after watching that!”

“Sanji, we need comfort food,” Usopp said, still on the verge of tears.

“Sure,” Sanji said, standing. “I’d like to try out the new kitchen, anyway.”

Usopp and Chopper followed him away while Luffy laughed at Zoro. “What do you mean, I’m worth ten mouths? I don’t talk that much!”

“I meant your eating habits.” Luffy and Zoro stood. “You might as well be ten people for how much you eat. So, ten mouths.”

“Your logic is weird,” Luffy said as they walked away.

“You’re one to talk.”

“Guys?” Franky said.


End file.
